Continuing With Therapy
by Lokiismylife
Summary: This is the sequel to The Therapist; if you haven't read that, this won't make sense. Natalie, Loki, and the Avengers are getting ready for the battle with Thanos. Will they come out successful, or will Earth's Mightiest Heroes and their allies fall?
1. Chapter 1

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter One: Natalie's Birthday**

 **This is the sequel to The Therapist. I hope you all enjoy it as much as you did The Therapist. It starts with Natalie's birthday party, and goes from there. If you haven't read The Therapist, this will make no sense whatsoever. Thanks to** _ **weyrleader69**_ **for the title!**

Natalie woke up on the morning of her birthday, and noticed Loki was still asleep. She gently shook him, and he sleepily opened his eyes. "Too early…." he mumbled.

Natalie giggled. "Forgetting something?" she asked.

Loki resigned himself to getting up early, and said, "It's your birthday today. Happy Birthday, Natalie."

"Thanks Loki," Natalie said, and kissed him. When they broke it off, Natalie said, "I'm going to take a shower and get dressed; you can go back to sleep for a bit."

Loki promptly went back to sleep, and Natalie silently giggled; Loki was NOT a morning person. She went and took a shower, then braided her hair and put her clothes on.

By the time she got out, Loki was starting to wake up, and he looked at her sleepily. She smiled and said, "Your turn."

"Okay," Loki said. "Meet you downstairs?"

"Sure," Natalie said. Loki took his clothes into the bathroom, and Natalie headed downstairs, smiling as JARVIS wished her a happy birthday too. She found Steve and Bruce already there, along with Natasha and Clint. They all looked up as Natalie came in, and chorused, "Happy Birthday Natalie!"

Natalie smiled. "Thank you," she said.

"Where's Loki?" Natasha asked.

"In the shower; he's not a morning person," Natalie said. "Where's Tony?"

"Right here," Tony said, coming into the kitchen. "Happy birthday, Natalie."

"Thanks," Natalie said, smiling.

Loki came in a few minutes later, just as Steve and Bruce put breakfast on the table. Everyone sat down to eat, and Loki asked, "So when is Natalie's family coming?"

"I'm sending Happy to pick them up; they should be here at noon," Tony said. "And Thor and Frigga are coming soon too. Pepper should be here any minute."

Sure enough, Pepper came in a few minutes later and said, "Happy birthday, Natalie!"

"Thanks Pepper," Natalie said.

"Sure," Pepper said.

"Sir, it appears Queen Frigga and Mr. Odinson have arrived," JARVIS said. "Shall I send them down?"

"Yeah, thanks J," Tony said.

Frigga and Thor stepped out of the elevator a minute later, and came into the kitchen. Loki and Natalie got up to greet them, and Loki noticed Frigga was carrying a basket. After hugging both Loki and Natalie, Frigga said, "I have come not only to celebrate Natalie's birthday, but also to give you all news."

"What is the news?" Loki asked.

"I spoke with the Council on the matter of Thanos, and they have decided to offer not only Natalie, but all the members of the Avengers one of Idunn's golden apples," Frigga said. "Their reasoning for this was that as humans live shorter lives than we do, we would continuously have to find new ambassadors for Midgard. This way, we will not have to do so. The decision is up to each of you, but I thought it would be nice, as this way Natalie, Loki, and Thor will not have to watch you age and die before them."

"What about Natalie's family?" Tony asked.

"I asked, and her parents were grateful, but decided against accepting," Frigga said. "And her younger brother, while he is thinking it over, is too young for this. He would be stuck at his current age if he ate the apple before coming of age. Should he decide he wants this gift, I will ensure he gets one when he is of age."

"Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I would be happy to accept," Tony announced.

"So would I," Steve said. "Thank you for this, Frigga."

Natasha and Clint looked at each other, communicating silently, before Clint said, "I'd be happy to accept as well."

"Same here," Natasha said.

Bruce was the only one who didn't speak up- until Tony turned puppy dog eyes on him, and he sighed with fond exasperation. "I'd be happy to accept too," he said.

"Excellent," Frigga said happily. She handed them each an apple, and they ate them. "These are way better than Earth apples," Tony commented, causing everyone to laugh.

Natalie's family arrived shortly after noon, with Mrs. McKenzie carrying a huge cake. "Hi everyone," she said. "Natalie, happy birthday!" Kevin and Mr. McKenzie echoed her.

"Thanks guys," Natalie said happily. "And thanks for making the cake, Mom."

"Sure sweetie," Mrs. McKenzie said, setting it down on the counter.

"Pizza's here," Steve said, coming in with six huge pizza boxes.

"That… is a LOT of pizza," Kevin said, wide-eyed.

Everyone else laughed, and they opened the boxes and started eating.

"So Nat, what's new?" Kevin asked after a few minutes.

"I have a new ability, but aside from Clint actually agreeing to go to therapy, nothing else is new," Natalie said.

Mr. McKenzie sat forward and asked, "You have a new ability? Is it related to the powers you already have?"

"Not to my knowledge; it's got nothing to do with going into someone's subconscious," Natalie said.

"What is it?" Mr. McKenzie asked.

"Visions," Natalie said. "I'm not sure if it's going to be only the future, or the past, or both. The first one I had had obviously happened previous to when I had it."

"I've never heard of that in previous Dream Walkers," Mr. McKenzie said, confused.

"I have reason to believe Natalie was gifted this power by the Norns, in order to help with the battle Midgard will soon be facing," Frigga said. "I also have this power, but it will do Midgard little good, as I cannot come here regularly. I also believe Natalie's power has been strengthened, as she felt more powerful to me when I examined her powers to identify the cause of the vision she had."

"Why would she need stronger powers?" Mrs. McKenzie asked.

"To help combat the exhaustion problems, I would guess," Loki said. "When she kicked Thanos out of Tony's mind, she slept for nearly twenty-four hours afterwards."

"Why did that take so much out of you?" Mr. McKenzie asked.

"I wasn't physically touching Tony at the time," Natalie said. "It's harder for me to go into someone's mind if I'm not physically touching them, and I also stripped Thanos of his power to take over someone's mind while kicking him out of Tony."

"I see," Mr. McKenzie said.

"Nat, do you want to do cake or presents first?" Kevin asked, lifting the tension.

"I'd like to do presents; a break from eating sounds nice," Natalie said.

"Great!" Tony said excitedly. "To the living room!"

Natalie and the others giggled at his excitement, and they all went to the living room. "Who's going first?" Steve asked.

"I will!" Tony said cheerfully, and handed Natalie a small box. She smiled and opened it, finding a cell phone. "A cell phone?" she asked.

"I made it," Tony said. "I also borrowed your phone and transferred all your information into that one- and changed the default ringtone to that song you like that I can't pronounce."

"Awesome, thanks Tony!" Natalie said happily.

Natasha came over next, and said, "These are from both me and Clint, since he said he had no idea what to get someone who wasn't me or Phil."

"Thanks Natasha," Natalie said, taking off the wrapping paper to reveal a set of daggers and other knives. The other box was a knife-care kit.

"You said you're a knife fighter, so we figured you could use some of your own," Clint commented.

"Thanks," Natalie said. "You're right, this is a good idea, and now I won't have to borrow Loki's to keep in practice."

Thor came over next, and handed her a box. "This was Loki's suggestion, I hope you enjoy it," he said.

Natalie opened the box to find a round pendant on a slim gold chain. The pendant was made of some kind of stone that seemed to change color; it was a pearly white until she picked it up, and then it turned a light red. "This is beautiful, Thor, thank you!" Natalie said happily. "What kind of stone is this?"

"It is a mood stone; they are very rare gems that change color according to how you are feeling at any given moment," Frigga said, smiling, then added, "Thor came to me for help."

Natalie smiled happily and put the necklace on. Steve came over with a large package, and said, "I wasn't really sure what to get you, so I asked your brother for help with books."

Natalie opened the package, which turned out to be the complete set of the manga _Alfheim no Kishi._ "Cool!" she said happily. "I've never read this one."

Steve smiled, and Bruce came over next, and handed her a wrapped package. "I hope you like it, I wasn't really sure what else to get," he said.

Natalie smiled at him and opened the package, which was a book on the history of manga. "Wow, this looks awesome, thanks Bruce!" she said happily. Bruce smiled.

Kevin came over with a rather oddly-wrapped present, and said, "I wrapped it myself!"

"Thanks Kev," Natalie said, hugging her brother. She opened the present, which turned out to be the movie Ponyo, on DVD. "Awesome," she said happily.

Her parents came over with a few boxes, and Mrs. McKenzie said, "You might want to open these in private, it's mostly clothing and a few… other things."

"Thanks," Natalie said. "I'll open them later then."

Pepper came over and handed her a pretty card, and she opened it. Inside was some papers, and confused, Natalie looked them over. It turned out to be confirmation forms for her, Loki, and Kevin to go to Comic Con. "Pepper, this is awesome!" Natalie said happily.

"I'm glad you like it; that was Tony's idea, since I haven't really spent much time with you," Pepper said. "Also, I didn't want you having to spend all your money just trying to get in the door."

"I really appreciate that, thanks," Natalie said happily.

"Nat, is that what I think it is?" Kevin asked hopefully.

"If you think it's that Pepper registered the two of us and Loki of us for Comic Con, then yes it is," Natalie said.

"Yay!" Kevin said happily.

"Hey Loki, didn't you get Natalie a present too?" Tony asked pointedly.

Loki was looking somewhat nervous, but he came over to Natalie, and she got up. Loki took a familiar box out of his pocket, and went down on one knee, opening it as he asked, "Natalie McKenzie, will you marry me?"

Natalie grinned broadly and said, "Yes!"

Loki took her right hand and slid the ring onto her ring finger, and she tackled him in a hug as the others started cheering.

 **I know it's filler, but this is the start of the long-awaited sequel to The Therapist. I hope you all enjoy this. Updates will probably be slower, but I hope you all will still follow, favorite, and review. Unlike last time, I don't have the whole thing written out yet.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter Two: An Intruder**

After the others calmed down, Natalie got up and pulled Loki up. Kevin was the first to speak, and he said, "Congrats! I get a big brother!"

Natalie laughed. Loki looked somewhat startled, and Natalie noticed. "Now you'll have a little brother, Loki," she told him. "Though the way he's going, he might be as tall as you are someday."

"I never thought of that," Loki said.

Mrs. McKenzie smiled. "Welcome to the family, Loki," she said. "I'm sure you'll fit right in; Kevin never stops talking about you."

Loki smiled. "Mmph," Mr. McKenzie said. Mrs. McKenzie elbowed him and said, "Keep the overprotectiveness to a minimum, dear."

"Besides, Dad, I thought we already established that Loki has no intention of hurting me," Natalie said.

"I know, it's just…. you're getting married!" Mr. McKenzie said.

"Dad, I'll always be your daughter, whether I'm married or not," Natalie said.

Mr. McKenzie sighed. "If you don't stop moping, I'll ask Tony to walk me down the aisle instead of you," Natalie threatened.

"Right, no moping," Mr. McKenzie said immediately.

"Why not Thor?" Loki asked.

"I assumed you'd want him to be your best man, which would mean he'd be helping you get ready and standing beside you while Dad walks me down the aisle," Natalie said.

"Oh," Loki said.

"Okay, I know no one's going to like me for this, but are we having the wedding before or after Thanos?" Clint asked. "Because according to Loki and Natalie, he'll be attacking in three months, and I don't think we want him crashing the wedding."

The others grimaced. "Good point," Tony said. He looked at Loki and Natalie, and said, "I don't know what you two want to do, but I would suggest before. Because much as I hate to say this, there's almost no chance of all of us coming out of a fight with Thanos and the Chitauri unscathed, and there's a possibility that not all of us will survive this."

Loki and Natalie exchanged a glance, and then Loki said, "You're right. We should have the wedding before things start getting bad."

"Exactly how bad are we talking?" Mr. McKenzie asked.

"We've received confirmation that Thanos is going to attack in approximately three months' time, and he's bringing a massive army of aliens with him," Steve said grimly. "And considering he wants both Loki and Natalie eliminated, things are going to get extremely bad. We know he's going to attack this city first, probably to get us out of the way before he tries to conquer the rest of the planet, but other than that, we don't know his plans."

"I'd recommend thinking about if there's a place out of the country you've wanted to go to," Tony said. "I'll make the arrangements and pay for it, but we don't need a hostage situation, and there's a good possibility that Thanos is aware of you, or at least Kevin, since he was the one Odin kidnapped. Regardless, after the wedding, we need to get you guys out of the country."

"And Natalie?" Mrs. McKenzie asked.

"I'm staying," Natalie said. "Thanos is after me; I need to be separate from you, and I won't leave Loki- he's going to be fighting, and I can't just leave him to it, not after what Thanos and the Chitauri put him through."

Both her parents and Kevin looked scared, and Natalie sighed. "I knew when I took this job that at some point, I'd be in danger, and I accepted that fact," she said. "I know how to fight, protect myself, and protect others; I'll be better off than most people in the city. But I need to know that you guys will be safe. Tony's right, we can't afford a hostage situation, and you're the most likely targets for Thanos to go after."

"Even if he doesn't go after you, you live in the city," Loki commented. "It's not going to be safe for anyone to be here in about three months."

Mr. McKenzie sighed. "Alright," he said. "I agree that we need to remove ourselves from the situation, so we'll discuss where we think would be the best place to go. I'll call Natalie when we work it out."

"Thank you," Steve said.

Suddenly an alarm went off, and Tony asked, "JARVIS, what's going on?"

"There is an intruder in the building; he has neutralized the security team already, and is headed your way," JARVIS said. He showed them the security footage, and Natasha cursed in Russian.

"Tasha, isn't that…." Clint trailed off.

"The Winter Soldier," Natasha growled. "The Red Room's secret weapon."

Natalie looked at the footage, and asked, "Is he brainwashed?"

That caused everyone to look at her. "What makes you ask that?" Steve asked.

"His eyes are completely blank, and there's something off about his body language," Natalie said.

"You might be right," Natasha said. "When I was still with the Red Room, he was one of my trainers, but for some reason the people in charge kept taking him to a lab. When I went on a mission with him, he started acting oddly at one point, like what we were doing was something he knew was wrong. And he was treated worse than any of the other Red Room operatives. If that is the case, maybe we can get him on our side."

"Loki, can you restrain him long enough for me to see what's really going on?" Natalie asked.

"Yes," Loki said.

"Watch out for his metal arm, it's much stronger than normal metals," Natasha said. "JARVIS, where is he?"

"Almost at this floor; all attempts to stop him have failed," JARVIS replied grimly.

Loki moved to stand near the door to the stairs, and the minute the door broke down, Loki shot a spell at the assassin that immobilized him, followed by what looked like a magical net. After a minute, he said, "He's secure. Natalie?"

Natalie went over, and put a hand on the man's forehead. After a minute, she said, "Yeah, he's brainwashed. It's started to fade a little bit, but nowhere near enough for him to act of his own accord."

"Take the mask off," Natasha said. "I want to know who this guy is."

Natalie obeyed, and there was an immediate storm of cursing from Tony, Natasha, and Clint. Natalie looked at them, puzzled, then noticed Steve seemed to be in shock. "Who is he?" Natalie asked.

"James 'Bucky' Barnes," Tony said grimly. "AKA, Steve's best friend from childhood."

Natalie was momentarily stunned, before going into practical mode, and saying, "Loki, we need to take him to the medical ward. I can't work on him like this; he's too tall." She turned to the others and said, "The rest of you, stay down here and wait for news; I do not need distractions. The sooner I get rid of the Red Room's influence, the better." She waited for everyone's agreement before motioning to Loki. He levitated Bucky and they went down two floors in the elevator, to the medical ward. Loki put Bucky on one of the beds, and Natalie pulled a chair over. "Make sure he doesn't move," she told Loki.

"Understood," Loki said. Natalie nodded, put her hand on Bucky's forehead, and dived into his mind.

She reappeared in what appeared to be a prison cell of some sort, and looked around. It was empty, but when she tried to leave, a man appeared in front of her. He looked like a slightly-younger version of Bucky, and said, "You shouldn't have come in; there's no way out. I've tried everything to get out of here, but the brainwashing is too strong."

"Where is the brainwashing coming from?" Natalie asked. "Can you show me?"

Bucky looked uncertain, but motioned for her to follow him. She did so, and they came to what appeared to be a memory. Bucky looked scared and said, "I don't like seeing this. This is what happened after HYDRA found me." Then he vanished.

Natalie looked back at the memory, and walked into it. Scientists were torturing Bucky, trying to brainwash him. Natalie waved a hand, and the scientists were tied up and unconscious. Natalie went over to the Bucky on the table, and freed him. He looked at her, and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm Natalie," Natalie said. "You need to get out of here. Come on, I'll help you."

She held out a hand, and he got off the table and took it. The minute their fingers touched, the scene changed. They watched as a teenaged Bucky protected a small, skinny kid from bullies. "Steve…." Bucky said softly.

"Do you want to see him again?" Natalie asked.

"Steve's dead now," Bucky said sadly, as more memories surfaced, showing both Bucky and Steve.

"Steve's not dead," Natalie said firmly. "He was in suspended animation for seventy years, but he's not dead. He wants to see you again; don't you want to see him?"

The flow of memories changed, showing Bucky as the Winter Soldier. "He'll hate me," Bucky said. "I worked for HYDRA for so long; I'll never be the same."

"Steve will understand; you didn't do it of your own free will," Natalie said. "All this time, you've been fighting to get yourself back. Maybe you won't be the same man you once were, but you'll always be Steve's best friend, no matter what. You obviously care about him, and he cares very deeply about you. A lifetime of friendship doesn't go away just because you were brainwashed. We'll help you, Bucky. Steve, me, all our friends- we'll all help you get through this, and we won't let your captors get you back."

The memories playing in front of them stopped on a redheaded girl, and Bucky looked at her. "I need to keep her safe; she was the only one of the Red Room's operatives I managed to get out," he said. "She was the only one to get a mind of her own after being paired with me."

"What was her name?" Natalie asked.

"Natalia," Bucky said. "That's what the others called her, anyways."

"I know her; she's safe and she's a friend of Steve's," Natalie said. "Are you ready to go back to the real world?"

"The brainwashing isn't completely undone," Bucky said. "There's a switch that they can use to turn it back on; I need you to destroy that."

"Show me," Natalie said.

Bucky led her to a part of his mind that reminded her of the lab she had seen in his memories, and went over to a wall. There was a button on the wall, and Natalie asked, "Is this it?"

"Yes; if it gets pressed, I'll go back to being brainwashed," Bucky said. "I don't know how to destroy it though."

Natalie put her hands in a cross sign, and said, "Ua kom puas no kev qias." **(A/N: Translation: Destroy this abomination).** The button was obliterated by blue light, leaving nothing behind, and the room shimmered before fading away. They were standing in the middle of a park, and Natalie asked as a younger Bucky and Steve ran past, "Are you ready to go?" She held out a hand.

Bucky smiled and took it, saying, "Yes."

Natalie smiled, and willed the two of them back to the real world.

When Natalie opened her eyes, she blinked; it was bright. Bucky appeared to be waking up, and looked confused when he saw her. "Natalie?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yep," Natalie said. "How are you feeling?"

"I can think for myself again," Bucky said, sounding faintly awed. "I can't feel their control. Why can't I move?"

Natalie looked over at Loki, and said, "I think you can take the spells off now, Loki."

Loki hesitated a moment before taking the spells off. Bucky stretched and sat up, looking around. "Where is this?" he asked.

"The medical ward in Avengers Tower," Loki replied.

"How long was I in Bucky's mind?" Natalie asked.

"It's been about an hour and a half; how are you feeling?" Loki asked.

"I'm a little tired, but it's nothing like the last time," Natalie said. "I guess Frigga was right, I did get a power boost."

"I suggest you go tell the others the good news; I would like to question Bucky," Loki said.

"Don't traumatize him," Natalie said, getting up. She left, and went to the elevator. "JARVIS, are the others still on the main common floor?" she asked.

"Yes, they are trying to comfort Captain Rogers," JARVIS said. "Shall I take you there?"

"Please," Natalie said.

JARVIS took her to the main common floor, and she got out of the elevator, going to the communal living room. Natasha was the first to notice her, and she said to the others, who were trying to calm Steve down, "Guys, Natalie's back."

Steve shot to his feet, and asked, "Natalie, how's Bucky?"

"I got him out from under the mind control," Natalie said. "I got lucky; when I went in, the real Bucky was still in there, looking for a way out. I unblocked his memories, and destroyed the control the Red Room had over him. He was very helpful, though I think he was a little worried you'd hate him for what he did under the brainwashing. I brought him out of his mind, and when I got back to the real world, he recognized me and said that he actually felt like himself again, so I think the brainwashing is gone for good."

"How did he recognize you?" Tony asked.

"Bucky was essentially trapped in his own mind, unable to get out or have any say over what his body was doing," Natalie said. "When I went in, he was in there as well, in a form much like the one I have. I helped him break the brainwashing and get out, so when we both went back to the physical world, he recognized me as the person who was in his mind with him." She looked over at Natasha, and said, "Natasha, he remembers you- though he seems to think your name is Natalia. When one of the memories showed you, he said he needed to protect you."

"How old was I in the memory?" Natasha asked.

"About ten, I think; he didn't know and I'm not great at discerning ages, but you were still flat-chested, so I'm guessing you hadn't hit puberty yet," Natalie said.

"I was still being called Natalia at that age," Natasha said. "Why does he think he needs to protect me?"

"He said you were the only one he managed to plant the idea that the Red Room was bad in," Natalie said.

"My question is why would the Red Room attack NOW?" Clint asked. "If they were after Tasha, why wait until she was in the tower here, rather than on a mission or something?"

"They weren't solely after Natasha," Bucky said, coming into the room with Loki. "They're after all of the Avengers, and Natalie as well. I don't know why, but the woman who was paired with me somehow knew you'd all be in the same building, and waited until you were all gathered here to send me in."

"How does the Red Room even know Natalie exists?" Natasha asked. "Or about her ability? The only ones outside of us and her family who know are Fury and Phil Coulson. And those two only know the bare minimum."

"If Fury put the information in her file, though, and the Red Room hacked it…." Clint trailed off.

"The Red Room is the remnants of what used to be HYDRA," Bucky said. "From what little I've gathered, they have agents EVERYWHERE. And SHIELD is no exception. If they have an agent with high enough clearance to see Natalie's file, the Red Room will know about Natalie. The woman sent with me, Anya Belova, said I was supposed to capture Natalie, not kill her like the rest of you. I'm guessing they know about her ability."

"This is bad," Natasha said. "Natalie's file requires level 10 clearance; that's the highest level we have. If HYDRA has people with level 10 clearance in SHIELD, they're in pretty deep."

"So SHIELD's been compromised," Tony said. "I can almost guarantee that Agent isn't from HYDRA, but aside from him, Clint, and you, Tasha, I don't know. What about Fury?"

"He's on the 'To Be Gotten Rid Of' list, so I doubt he's aware that he's got agents who are loyal to HYDRA," Bucky commented. "You might want to tell him to be careful; even with me out of the picture, HYDRA will send someone else, and he'll be dead."

"Good point," Tony said. "I don't think this is something I should say over the phone, though….."

"Tell him to come here, alone, and have JARVIS check him for listening devices," Steve said. "I think Phil's on a mission."

"He is," Clint said.

"Alright, I'll call Fury," Tony said, and dug out his phone.

 **Sorry I'm so slow to update; I've got a million ideas, and I have to decide which ones to do first. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter Three: The Chosen One**

Tony called Fury, and the others waited as he said, "Fury, we need you to come over- and don't bring anyone with you. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but trust me on this. I can't tell you anything over the phone, it's not safe. Listen, I'll explain when you get here, but don't bring anyone with you. Okay, see you then." He hung up, and said, "He's not thrilled, but he's agreed to come alone. JARVIS, be ready to detect any listening devices he might have."

"Certainly, Sir," JARVIS said.

"We should get going," Mr. McKenzie said. "I'm sure this is classified information, so we won't tell anyone anything about today. Natalie, I'll get in touch with you when we've made a decision about where to go after the wedding, okay?"

"Okay, thanks Dad," Natalie said. She hugged her parents and Kevin, and they left.

Fury arrived fifteen minutes later, and tensed when he saw Bucky. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

"Bucky was brainwashed into becoming the Winter Soldier, and Natalie broke the brainwashing," Tony said. "I'll let him explain the rest."

Fury looked at Bucky, who said, "The Red Room is what remains of HYDRA, and from what I've gathered, they have people everywhere, in every government around the globe. And SHIELD is no exception. Tony called you here because we thought you should know that HYDRA has plants in your agency, and since you were on the list of people I was supposed to eliminate before Natalie broke their hold on me, you should be careful around your people. I don't know how many agents of yours are actually HYDRA, but according to Natasha, at least one or more has level 10 clearance, since someone told HYDRA about Natalie's power. They're after her power, and I was sent in to capture her and kill the Avengers."

"Is there anyone with you?" Fury asked.

"I was partnered with a woman who goes by Anya Belova, and her abilities are virtually identical to Natasha's, though perhaps a bit less powerful," Bucky said. "There are other agents known as 'Black Widows', but the strongest of them is Natasha, and she's no longer under their control. Anya is most likely back at the base we were told to use; her orders were to sneak in after me and capture Natalie. Now that I'm not listening to her or anyone else, she'll have gone back to report my 'defection'."

"Can you lead the way to this base so we can take it out?" Fury asked.

"Sure," Bucky said. "The rest of you might want to suit up."

"What about Natalie?" Loki asked.

"I will take her back to Asgard," Frigga said. "You may come get her when you are done. I must return in any case."

Loki looked at Natalie, who said, "Don't worry, Loki, I'll go with Frigga, and you can help the others. Be careful, okay?"

"Okay," Loki said. He kissed her and left to get his armor on.

Frigga smiled at Natalie, and said, "Let us go out on the balcony. I am sure Stark would not want a hole in his roof."

Natalie giggled. "Yeah, he wouldn't be too happy," she said. She followed Frigga outside, and waited as she called for Heimdall. The Bifrost opened soon after, swallowing them, and soon they were in Heimdall's Observatory. "Welcome back, my Queen, and welcome to you, Lady Natalie," Heimdall said. "You may want to make haste; Asgard has a visitor."

"Thank you, Heimdall," Frigga said. "Lady Natalie, I am going to teleport us to the palace, is that alright?"

"It's fine by me," Natalie said. Frigga took her hand and teleported to the palace, then led the way to an antechamber that led to the throne room. Tyr was waiting for them, and Frigga asked, "Lord Tyr, I am told that Asgard has a visitor?"

"Yes, my Queen, Lady Summer has paid us a surprise visit," Tyr said. "She said it was a matter of great importance to the realms."

"I will not keep her waiting, then," Frigga said. "Will you both accompany me?"

"Yes," Tyr and Natalie said. They followed Frigga into the throne room, and saw a woman who seemed to glow with a golden light waiting for them. Frigga, to Natalie's surprise, curtsied, and Natalie was quick to follow suit as Tyr bowed and Frigga asked, "Lady Summer, to what do we owe this honor?"

"I have come on the matter of Thanos," Lady Summer replied. "And I am pleased that Lady Natalie is with you, this will make things much easier."

"May I ask how you know of her?" Frigga asked.

"Perhaps it is better if I explain who I am first," Lady Summer said. "As one from Midgard, Lady Natalie has no knowledge of me or my siblings."

She looked at Natalie, who felt something inside her responding to Lady Summer's power. She wasn't sure why her powers were practically singing, but she had a feeling she was about to find out.

Lady Summer smiled and said, "I see you have noticed something. I am Lady Summer, the physical embodiment of the season so named. I, along with my siblings, Lord Winter, Lady Autumn, and Lady Spring, are the guardians of all life in the Nine Realms. We are the second most powerful beings in the universe, after our mother, and the most powerful to take a physical form. We are also the original creators of the Dream Walker. When your family first began, the Aesir who had been banished to Midgard and took the name McKenzie had been stripped of his powers. We saw an opportunity in this, and approached him with an offer. In return for becoming our hand on Midgard, which at the time was overrun by supernatural creatures and superstition, he and his family would be blessed by us. Every generation, one of his descendants would become the Dream Walker, and this would ensure the safety of Midgard. For centuries, this remained the case, and then the humans took over Midgard completely. We were pleased that your family never forgot their heritage, though, so we allowed your family to keep the power gifted to them. We knew there would come a day when Midgard would require the Dream Walker's powers again, so we waited and watched your family. Now, that day is almost upon us."

"You mean because Thanos is coming?" Natalie asked.

"Yes," Lady Summer replied. "Originally, the task of erasing his existence from the universe was not going to be yours. We thought when your cousin Andrew was born, that he was our Chosen. Unfortunately, both for you and for us, Skuld, one of the Norns, decided to intervene, and Andrew died before we realized what Skuld had done. We did not get to her in time to save your cousin, and for that I apologize. I still am unsure of why Skuld thought it was within her rights to kill off one of our Chosen, but I believe it has something to do with your fate, Lady Natalie. Skuld may have seen your future as the Avengers' therapist, and decided to intervene, as they would be right in the middle of the fight in which your powers would be needed. And I must admit, it seems that you being the Dream Walker rather than your cousin has worked out far better than we could have hoped. We still do not condone the death of your cousin, but you have more than proven yourself worthy of the power gifted to you. That is why we gave you the gift of visions as well; you have proven yourself to be worthy of the title of our Chosen One."

"What does this entail, exactly?" Natalie asked, apprehensive.

"You will still have your visions and powers as the Dream Walker, though we have added a bit of power to that to erase the exhaustion problems you were having," Lady Summer said. "However, this power boost also allows my siblings and I to take over." Noticing Natalie was slightly freaked out, she said, "Do not worry; we would not do it unless it is a dire emergency. We added that on because of Thanos's imminent arrival on Midgard. My siblings and I cannot directly interfere with him- however, we can use a human as a conduit for our powers, to obliterate him once and for all. We felt that in order to get rid of Thanos, you would be our best hope for a conduit, as your power already comes from us and therefore it would not harm you to use more of our powers. We still need your permission, however."

Natalie thought about that, and suddenly an idea occurred to her. "May I make a request in return for you and your siblings being allowed to use me as a conduit?" she asked.

"I will hear this request," Lady Summer said.

"My friend, Tony Stark, has shrapnel in his chest, and I'm not entirely sure he can have an operation to get it out; if the arc reactor he created to keep the shrapnel from entering his heart was taken out or damaged, he would die within a few minutes," Natalie said. "I was wondering if it was possible to get the shrapnel and the arc reactor out without harming him, so he wouldn't have to live with this problem anymore."

Lady Summer looked intrigued, and asked, "May I ask why you want something for him, rather than yourself or Loki?"

"Tony's done so much for both me and Loki, and I feel like I haven't really given much back, besides being a listening ear," Natalie replied. "And he's my friend; I care about him and want him to be happy."

Lady Summer looked pleased, and said, "As long as you agree to become our conduit, I would be happy to grant this request. I will bring you back to Midgard and explain matters to your friends."

"Thank you, and I agree to your terms," Natalie said.

Lady Summer smiled, and then tilted her head. "Your friends appear to have succeeded in their endeavor," she said. "We should return."

"Already?" Natalie asked, startled.

"Time flows differently between the realms," Frigga explained.

"Oh," Natalie said.

Lady Summer held out a hand to her, and Natalie hesitantly took it. A minute later, they were standing in Tony's living room.

 **I know it's pretty short, but I'll try to make the next chapter longer. Natalie will not be turning into a super-powered Mary-Sue, by the way. She'll just be a conduit for the gods who need it, after which she'll be the same as she always was. Hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter Four: Explanations**

When Natalie and Lady Summer appeared in the living room, all the Avengers, Fury, Loki, and Bucky were there. They all looked up as Natalie and Lady Summer appeared, and Loki and Thor's eyes widened before both of them dropped to one knee. Everyone else just looked confused.

"Lady Summer," Loki said respectfully. "To what do we owe this honor?"

"I have come to speak about the upcoming battle you will be having with Thanos," Lady Summer replied. "Perhaps first I should explain who I am, for those who are unaware."

"That sounds like a good idea," Fury said gruffly.

Lady Summer merely smiled, and said, "I am the physical embodiment of the season of Summer. My siblings, the other seasons, and I, are the second most powerful beings in the universe, our mother being the most powerful. My siblings and I are the most powerful to take a physical form, however. We were also the creators of the original Dream Walker, as a way to protect this realm and because we were aware that at some point in time, Thanos would be targeting this realm. Now, we have confirmation of that monster coming here, and I have come to explain Lady Natalie's role in the upcoming battle."

"Natalie's role?" Loki asked, sounding wary.

"Natalie is the Dream Walker, and also the one we chose to rid the universe of Thanos," Lady Summer replied. "Originally it was going to be her cousin, but unfortunately, Skuld decided to overstep her authority, and killed him. She is still being watched by my mother, so she will not interfere in things that are not within her purview. Due to that, however, Natalie is our Chosen, and has agreed to become a conduit for mine and my siblings' powers. We cannot directly interfere with Thanos, but we can use a human as a conduit. Since Natalie's powers come from us, she is our best hope. Loki was considered, but since his power comes from Yggdrasil instead of us, he is not a viable option, as the two powers would fight each other."

"So Natalie is the only one who can kill Thanos?" Tony asked.

"Exactly," Lady Summer replied. "The rest of you will be needed to fight his army, but Natalie is the only one who will be able to fight Thanos on even ground, due to the power my siblings and I will be using through her. Every life form that followed Thanos willingly will die with him, as we cannot allow another monster like him to come to power."

"And Odin?" Thor asked.

"My brother, Lord Winter, took matters into his own hands and obliterated him," Lady Summer said. "Loki was one of Lord Winter's chosen, which was why he was in the temple when Odin stole him. Once we found out the true scope of Odin's misdeeds involving Loki, Lord Winter went off to destroy him."

"So…. I wasn't abandoned?" Loki asked.

"No, you were not," Lady Summer said. "Small children on Jotunheim are prized, because they tend to be the most powerful magically speaking. There are two more things I have to say and do before leaving; first, the attack on this city will take place on September 24th, though I do not know precisely what time of day; time flows differently between the realms, so just be ready."

She paused, and Loki asked, "What was the second thing?"

"Natalie made a request, in return for becoming our conduit, and I agreed to grant it," Lady Summer replied. She looked directly at Tony, and said, "Anthony Stark, please come here."

Tony uncertainly came over, and Lady Summer gently put a hand on his chest. Her hand glowed briefly, and when she took it away a few minutes later, she was holding a few pieces of shrapnel and the arc reactor. Tony looked shocked, and looked at Natalie. She smiled, and said, "I asked her to remove all the shrapnel and the arc reactor, so you won't have to worry about it anymore, and you can live the rest of your life normally- or at least, as normal as we get around here."

Tony was speechless, and just nodded faintly. Lady Summer handed him the arc reactor, and said, "Keep this to remember. I will dispose of the shrapnel, unless you wish to keep that as well."

Tony found his voice at that, and said, "No, I'm good. Thank you, both of you."

"You are most welcome," Lady Summer said. "I must take my leave now; Natalie, thank you for your cooperation."

"I want Thanos gone too, it was no trouble," Natalie said. "And thanks for helping Tony."

"You are welcome," Lady Summer replied with a smile, and vanished.

Tony looked overwhelmed, and Natalie asked, "Tony, are you okay?"

Tony looked at her and said, "You could have asked her for anything, and you asked her to take the shrapnel out of my chest."

"You've done so much for me and Loki, Tony," Natalie said with a smile. "This was the least I could do to repay you for everything you've done."

Tony grabbed her in a hug, and whispered as she hugged back, _"Thank you,_ Natalie _."_

"You're welcome," Natalie said, smiling. She noticed he held on longer than he normally would have, but eventually he let her go, and she turned to the others, who were all staring at her. "Um…. what?" she asked.

Steve shook his head and said, "I think we're all a little shocked that you had the chance to literally ask for anything, and you chose to ask a favor of that magnitude for someone else."

"I don't really know what else I'd ask for," Natalie admitted. "The only reason I asked for anything was because I knew it wasn't easy for Tony to live with the arc reactor; I saw an opportunity to repay him for everything he's done for both me and Loki, and took it. I have everything I could have ever dreamed of; a wonderful home with lots of friends, my dream job, and a fiancé who loves me and doesn't have problems with my fear of alcohol. I guess I could have asked for something for someone else here, but the way I saw it, Tony's the only one with a problem that was a threat to his life."

"Good point," Steve said. "And since you brought Bucky back, I have everything I need." He looked around at the others, who nodded. Natalie smiled.

After a few minutes of silence, Bruce said, "Natalie, can I speak with you? And can Tony come with us?"

"Sure," Natalie said. "Tony?"

"I'll come," Tony said. "Steve, why don't you give Bucky a tour and help him pick out a room?"

"Sounds good," Steve said.

Tony and Natalie followed Bruce out of the room, and down to the gym. By this point, Natalie had a pretty good idea of what Bruce wanted to talk about, but Tony didn't have a clue. "So, what's up Bruce?" Tony asked.

"Natalie asked a while back if I would let her meet Hulk," Bruce said quietly.

Tony looked at Natalie, who said, "I got the sense from the rest of you that Hulk isn't just a mindless beast, and that he probably has his own feelings. I was curious as to what those feelings and thoughts might be, and I also could ask him any questions Bruce might have for him."

Bruce nodded, and continued, "I asked you to come as well, Tony, because aside from Betty, you're the only person who's ever successfully talked Hulk down before. I admit it's gotten better, but I'm not taking chances letting him be alone with someone he's unfamiliar with."

"I guess you've got a point," Tony said. "So, any questions for the big guy?"

"I'd just like to know why he comes out," Bruce said. "Anything else is up to the two of you."

"Alright," Natalie said. Suddenly a thought occurred to her, and she asked, "Just one more question. Is Hulk a part of your subconscious?"

"I think so, but I couldn't say for sure," Bruce said. "Why?"

"Because if he is, then it might make it easier for me to talk to him at any time," Natalie said. "If he is a part of your subconscious, then if you needed me to talk to him for some reason, you wouldn't necessarily have to transform for me to talk to him."

"Why didn't you mention this before?" Bruce asked.

"Because I think it's better if Hulk is able to meet me face-to-face first, before I try going into your subconscious," Natalie said. "If he took offense to me being in there, and became violent for whatever reason, it could end up badly for both of us. Did you know that if I was knocked out while in your subconscious, I could quite possibly get stuck in there with Hulk?"

Bruce and Tony both paled, and Bruce shook his head. "Okay, now I get your reasoning," he said. "No offense, but the last thing I need is another being in my head."

"No offense taken; I already knew me becoming stuck in your subconscious would be a disaster for everyone involved," Natalie said.

Bruce nodded, and took a deep breath before saying, "You should both move back a ways."

Tony and Natalie backed up but remained close enough that Hulk would notice them, and Bruce took another deep breath before his skin turned green and he began to change.

Natalie watched the transformation with interest, and when Hulk was out, he roared and looked around. He spotted Tony, and looked confused. "Where fight?" he asked.

"No fight today, big guy," Tony said. "I want you to meet someone." He put a hand on Natalie's shoulder, and Hulk looked at her. "Hi," Natalie said. "I'm Natalie."

Hulk sniffed her, and looked confused. "Why smell like Puny God?" he asked.

"I spend a lot of time with Loki," Natalie said.

Hulk grumbled and asked, "Why Hulk needed if no fight?"

"Bruce had a question for you, and I offered to ask it for him," Natalie explained. "He was wondering why you come out."

Hulk seemed to think about that, and finally said, "Banner puny. Hulk protect when Banner scared."

"So why do you come out when he's angry too?" Tony asked, curious.

"Hulk angry. Banner scared," Hulk said, sounding confused.

Tony looked just as confused, but Natalie had a theory, and asked, "Hulk, you come out when Banner's heart gets faster, right?"

"Hulk feel Banner's heart work hard, Hulk come out," Hulk said.

"So you can't tell the difference between when he's angry and when he's scared?" Natalie asked.

"Banner not angry; Hulk angry," Hulk said.

Natalie decided to leave it at that, and changed the subject. "So you protect Banner when he's scared," she said. "I guess that means you care about him, right?"

"Hulk want Banner to like Hulk," Hulk said. "So Hulk protect Banner and Banner friends. Tony nice. Cap nice. Hawk man nice. Tasha scared. Hammer God bad."

"Why is Thor bad?" Natalie asked.

"Hammer God not see Puny God good," Hulk replied.

"I thought Loki and Thor were getting along better," Tony said, surprised.

"Hammer God think Puny God too puny," Hulk said. "Hulk smell."

"So Thor still thinks Loki isn't as good as he is, but hasn't said anything about it," Natalie said thoughtfully.

Hulk nodded. "Puny God different now, not bad," he said. "Natalie help?"

"Yes, I helped him," Natalie said. "That's what I do."

Hulk thought about that, then said, "Natalie help Hulk?"

"Sure," Natalie said. "What do you need help with?"

"Hulk lonely," Hulk said. "Natalie visit?"

"I can go into Banner's mind, and talk with you if you're there," Natalie said. "I can't promise Banner will let you out all the time though; it makes him tired."

"Natalie come to Hulk then?" Hulk asked.

"Whenever Banner lets me, okay?" Natalie said.

Hulk looked visibly downcast, and said, "Banner never let."

"I think he will," Tony said. "I think he wants a better relationship with you, and Natalie can help with that. If she's in Banner's mind with you, though, you have to be gentle, or she could get stuck in there."

"Hulk be very gentle," Hulk said. He sighed. "Banner want out," he said. "Hulk leaving."

"Bye," Natalie said. "I'm glad I got to meet you."

"Hulk like Natalie," Hulk said with a grin, then shrank back down into Bruce. "Natalie, there's workout clothing in that room over there," Tony said, pointing.

Natalie went to get some, and came back. Bruce quickly got dressed, and asked, "How'd it go?"

"Hulk seems to like me," Natalie said. "He wants me to visit him."

"What did he say about why he comes out?" Bruce asked.

"His exact phrasing was, "Banner puny. Hulk protect,"" Natalie said. "He also mentioned he wants you to like him, so he protects you and your friends- though he's not too keen on Thor."

"All the times I've transformed were an attempt to protect me?" Bruce asked, sounding stunned.

"Yes," Natalie said. "Although I don't think he can differentiate between when you're angry and when you're scared. He seems to think that every time he's out, it's because you're scared. I think he connects your heartrate increasing with fear, and doesn't realize that anger can cause the same reaction."

"Yeah, he said, "Hulk angry. Banner scared," Tony said. "He didn't seem to think you could get angry."

"So why doesn't he like Thor?" Bruce asked.

"He claims that Thor still thinks of Loki as inferior to him, and apparently doesn't like that; he seems to realize that Loki is good now," Natalie replied.

"How does he know that?" Bruce asked, confused. "That's not something I noticed."

"He said he can smell it," Tony said. "He's got an amazing sense of smell; I'm guessing he can smell things that you and I can't. He obviously can smell fear, so it's not too far a stretch to think that he can smell other emotions as well."

"How did you know he can smell fear?" Bruce asked.

"When he talked about the team, he said, "Tasha scared,"" Tony said. "I'm guessing he smelled it on her, because she's never looked scared or shown any sign of fear around him."

"How does he feel about the rest of the team?" Bruce questioned.

"Steve, Clint, and I are all nice, Natasha is scared, and Thor is bad," Tony said. "I guess we're lucky Thor's the only one who can fight him on semi-even footing; he seemed pretty unhappy with Thor."

"Do you think that'll be a problem in a fight?" Bruce asked.

"I think it's a problem we can work around," Tony said. "Hulk hasn't attacked Thor so far; if we keep them apart in the pairs, it should be fine. And he doesn't seem to like the way Thor smells, either; he never gets too close after sniffing him."

"Hulk's not a fan of thunderstorms; Thor probably smells like lightning, and that would put Hulk off," Bruce admitted. He looked at Natalie and asked, "How are you planning on working out visiting Hulk?"

"I was thinking we could set up another time for therapy, since I really only spend about an hour with any given person, and I could meet with you on Mondays and Hulk some other day," Natalie said. "Tony explained that Hulk needs to be gentle with me if I'm in your mind with him, and he said he'd be very gentle."

"I'm glad it worked out," Bruce said. "And I think that setting up a time for Hulk is fine, but can we talk it over later? I'm exhausted."

"Sure," Natalie said. "Let's go back upstairs."

 **I am SO sorry for taking so long- first my computer was in the shop and then I had writer's block on this. I hope the chapter makes up for it, since someone was saying they couldn't wait for Natalie to meet Hulk. I hope I lived up to expectations! Review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter Five: Bruce's Present**

 _ **The next day:**_ Tony was bouncing around happily, and finally Loki asked, "Tony, exactly what is so exciting?"

"Rhodey's coming over!" Tony said gleefully.

"And?" Natalie asked, though she was smiling at his child-like enthusiasm.

Tony pouted. "What makes you think I'm not just excited about him coming?" he asked.

"You've got that mischievous look in your eye, meaning either you're planning to prank him, or you're hiding something," Natalie said.

Bruce came in at that moment, raised an eyebrow at Tony, and asked, "Tony, what did you do?"

"I had Rhodey pick up a present for you!" Tony said happily. "Took me months to find this present."

"Why did you have Rhodey pick the present up?" Loki asked. "Why not go yourself?"

"I needed his specific skills for this," Tony said.

"Oh God, you're giving Bruce Ross's decapitated head on a platter, aren't you?" Clint asked.

"No!" Tony laughed. "Jeez, if I was going to do that, I actually would do it myself! Rhodey would never agree to that. Besides, that's kind of gross."

"'Kind of' is an understatement," Natalie said dryly. "Clint, where do you come up with this stuff?"

"Oh come on, it's totally logical," Clint said. "Rhodes has a really high clearance level as Tony's liaison for the military, so Tony must have asked him for something that had to do with the military."

"Decapitating an Army General for me would definitely get Rhodey drummed out of the Air Force, and I'd never do that to him," Tony said dryly. "Even though Ross shouldn't even BE a General at this point….. but I'm working on that. Or rather, Pepper is. Why do you think his reputation tanked in the last year or so?"

Steve looked startled, and asked, "That was her doing?"

"Yeah, the minute she found out what he'd been doing, she decided to ruin his life the way he ruined Bruce's, and is pretty close to getting him removed from his position," Tony said. "She had this vindictive look last night; I don't know what she's planning, but it should be entertaining."

JARVIS interrupted, saying, "Sir, Lt. Colonel Rhodes has arrived. Shall I send him and the 'present' up?"

Bruce stiffened at the way JARVIS said 'present', and looked at Tony sharply. Tony grinned at him before saying, "Yeah, send them up."

Bruce stood up abruptly, and asked, "Tony, what did you do?"

"Bruce, relax," Loki said unexpectedly. "Whoever's here has absolutely no trace of hostility in them at all."

"That's not what I'm afraid of," Bruce said. "I know Tony would never let someone with the intent to harm me anywhere near this tower."

Natalie suddenly sat bolt upright, her eyes going blank. "What's happening?" Tony asked, alarmed.

"She's having a vision," Loki said. "It's not something you need to worry about."

Sure enough, Natalie's eyes went back to normal a few minutes later, and she looked puzzled. "What did you see?" Loki asked.

"A wedding," Natalie said. "I've never seen him look that happy before."

"You're being cryptic," Tony complained.

Natalie ignored him and asked, "Loki, these visions- do they all come true?"

"As far as I am aware," Loki said. "None of my mother's visions have ever been wrong. I presume yours are the same; I do not think Yggdrasil would give you fake visions. Was it our wedding?"

"No," Natalie said. "Actually, I had two visions, but one was last night."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Loki asked.

"It was a vision of a man I didn't know on trial," Natalie said. "He got a life sentence to someplace called Leavenworth for attempting to enslave a fellow American, kidnapping and illegal imprisonment of his daughter, and a bunch of things I have no idea what they were talking about. I don't know anything about Army by-laws though, so the judge didn't make much sense to me."

The others stared at her. "Was this man's name mentioned at all?" Tony asked.

"Yes," Natalie said. "Thaddeus Ross."

Bruce looked utterly shocked, and sank into a chair. Tony squeezed his shoulder and asked, "Do you know when this took place?"

"I saw one paper that was dated June 16th, 2012, so I assume either he was arrested on that date or that was the day the trial took place," Natalie said. "I didn't get a good look at what the paper said though, so I'm not sure which it was."

"That's before Thanos comes," Steve commented. "At least that's good news."

"What was the other vision?" Clint asked.

"I think I'll save it for now; the elevator just arrived," Natalie said.

The others looked in the direction of the elevator as the doors opened, and Rhodey came out, followed by a woman with long, dark brown hair. Bruce looked stunned, and Natalie smiled secretively. While Bruce was staring, Rhodey said, "Hey Tone, can I crash here for a while?"

"Sure thing Rhodey, and thanks," Tony said, nudging Bruce gently.

Bruce snapped out of shock, and whispered, "Betty?"

"Hello Bruce," Betty said as Tony and Natalie started ushering everyone else out of the room. Betty walked over to Bruce as he stood up, and said, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Bruce said, voice rough. "But how…." He trailed off.

"The General locked me up in Cheyenne Mountain," Betty said. "I don't know how he found out, but Stark apparently found that I was trapped there and sent Colonel Rhodes to break me out- which he did this morning."

"I'm not dreaming?" Bruce asked quietly.

Betty hugged him, and said softly, "Not a dream, I promise."

Bruce hugged back, burying his face in her shoulder.

 _ **With the others:**_ Tony had a big grin on his face, while the others were looking at Natalie, who was smirking. "Okay, Natalie, out with it," Clint said. "Why are you smirking like Loki?"

"Remember I told you the vision I just had was of a wedding?" Natalie asked.

"Yeah," Clint said.

"You mean Bruce and Betty are going to get married sometime in the future?" Tony asked.

"If what I saw was right, yes," Natalie said. "I've never seen him look that happy before. And I don't think we should tell them; let them figure out things on their own."

"I agree," Natasha said, leveling a flat look at Clint and Tony. Both drooped, and said sulkily, "Fine…."

Rhodey suddenly looked at Tony closely, and looked alarmed. "Tony, where's the Arc Reactor?" he asked.

"Long story," Tony said. "We got a visitor from someone who's basically the equivalent of the Asgardian's higher powers, and she said that Natalie is apparently the only one who can end this thing with Thanos. And then she called me over, took all the shrapnel and the Arc Reactor out of my chest, and said Natalie had requested that in return for letting her and her siblings use Natalie as a conduit. I'm still a little in shock; Natalie literally had the chance to ask for anything, and that was her choice."

Rhodey stared at Natalie, and she said, "I have everything I need in my life, and Tony's done so much for both me and Loki that I wasn't going to pass up that opportunity."

Rhodey hugged her tightly. "Thank you," he said, clearly meaning every word as he continued quietly, "You have no idea what it was like, finding out Tony had to rely on a machine to keep his heart beating- a machine that could be taken out or damaged by an enemy. And that's happened before. I will never be able to thank you enough, Natalie. You saved Tony's life twice now; I'll never forget this."

Natalie hugged him back and said, "Come to Loki's and my wedding and we'll be even, Rhodey."

Rhodey pulled back, and Natalie showed him her engagement ring. "Congratulations," Rhodey said. "And if you let me know when the wedding is, I'll make sure I'm there for it."

"Will do," Natalie said. "It'll be sometime this summer, I think, since things will be heating up in September."

"Alright," Rhodey said.

Natalie smiled, and then her cell phone rang. She picked up and said, "Hi Dad. You'll never believe who I met yesterday!"

" _I can already tell this is going to be odd,"_ Mr. McKenzie said dryly.

"I met the original creator of the Dream Walker," Natalie said, and barely held back a snicker as her father choked.

" _YOU WHAT!?"_ he shrieked.

"Apparently the four seasons have physical forms, and they gave the first of our family this power in return for acting as their hand on Earth," Natalie said. "There's more, but I don't think you're going to like it."

" _Tell me anyways,"_ Mr. McKenzie sighed.

"Apparently since my powers come from the physical embodiments of the seasons, I can be used as a conduit for their power," Natalie said. "And due to that and the fact that they can't directly attack Thanos or his army…. I am the only one who can defeat Thanos, because due to their power, I will be able to fight him on even ground."

" _Please tell me you're not serious,"_ her father said weakly.

"I'm dead serious, Dad," Natalie said. "The good news is that every being who willingly followed Thanos will die with him, so we probably won't have to kill his entire army."

" _That does not comfort me,"_ Mr. McKenzie deadpanned. _"Why does it have to be you? Why not Loki or someone else?"_

"Loki's power comes from Yggdrasil, so if he was to be used as a conduit, the two powers would fight each other," Natalie said. "And apparently Andrew was supposed to be the seasons' Chosen, but as he died due to the Norn's interference, I got picked, and apparently it worked out well, because I'm close to the team that will have to deal with Thanos's army. I can't say I'm thrilled either, Dad, but the fact remains that I am the only one who can take down this monster, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save the universe, because apparently the reason Thanos is trying to take over Earth is because it would make a good base from which to conquer the rest of the Nine Realms."

" _Natalie…."_ her father started.

"Dad, this is something I have to do; not just for myself, not just for my friends and family, but for everyone," Natalie said. "Do you WANT a bunch of alien overlords?"

Mr. McKenzie sighed. _"No, but I also don't want my only daughter to die,"_ he said quietly.

"I'm not planning on it," Natalie said. "Was there a reason you called, or did you just want to say hi?"

" _I know you're changing the subject on purpose, but I really called because your mom, Kevin, and I decided where we'd like to go to get out of blast range, and I wanted to talk to Mr. Stark,"_ Mr. McKenzie said. _"And your mother apparently wants to talk wedding plans later this week."_

"Alright," Natalie said. "I'll hand you over then." She took the phone away from her ear and said, "Tony, my dad would like to talk to you."

"Okay," Tony said, taking the phone and going off to talk to Mr. McKenzie. A few minutes later, he handed the phone back to Natalie, who asked, "Dad?"

" _We'll be in Italy starting September 1_ _st_ _,"_ Mr. McKenzie said. _"Tony says he'll fly us back as soon as the battle is over. Do NOT get yourself killed, you hear me?"_

"I won't, I promise," Natalie said. "Did Mom want to talk to me?"

" _She'd like you to come over this weekend so we can start talking about the wedding,"_ Mr. McKenzie said.

"Okay, tell her I can come on Saturday afternoon," Natalie said.

" _Will do; what time exactly?"_ her father asked.

"1:30ish," Natalie replied.

" _Alright, see you and Loki then,"_ Mr. McKenzie said.

"Sure, bye Dad," Natalie said, and hung up after her father said goodbye. She looked over at Loki, and said, "Loki, we're going to my parents' on Saturday to talk wedding plans."

"As long as it's not morning," Loki said.

Natalie giggled. "We're supposed to be there between 1 and 2 in the afternoon," she said. "Don't worry, you don't have to get up too early."

Loki looked happy about that, and Tony snickered. "Not a morning person Loki?" he asked.

"Not at all," Loki said dryly.

The others laughed.

 **There's Chapter 5; I hope you enjoyed. I think the next chapter will have more action- though nothing to do with Thanos yet. Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter Six: Ross**

The day after Rhodey brought Betty to Avengers Tower, they were all sitting around the kitchen table eating breakfast when Pepper came down from her office looking grim. "Pep, what's wrong?" Tony asked.

"There's a tank heading for the tower- one of those experimental things Ross made," Pepper said. "I'm going to go talk to someone I think may be able to help, but you may want to stall him; I assume he plans to try to force Bruce out of here."

"He'll see that plan thwarted, mark my words," Rhodey said, looking pissed off. "Come on Tony, let's get the suits."

Tony, looking epically pissed off, got up and said, "JARVIS! Get the Mark VII ready to deploy."

"It is already waiting, Sir; you may deploy at any time," JARVIS said as Tony and Rhodey stormed out.

Pepper looked at Natalie, and said, "Natalie, come with me."

Natalie got up and followed Pepper to the elevator, and they went up to her office, where Pepper said, "JARVIS, get me the President and the Secretary of Defense."

"Certainly, Ms. Potts," JARVIS said as Natalie squeaked.

Pepper looked at her, amused. "I need your assessment of Hulk just in case," she said. "As a mental health professional, your word will carry far more weight than mine."

"Alright," Natalie said, as two screens popped up, one showing the President, and the other showing the Secretary of Defense, both of whom looked startled. The President was the first to speak, saying, "Ms. Potts. To what do we owe this call?"

"I currently have a General Ross driving a tank up to Avengers Tower," Pepper said. "I believe his objective is to attempt to enslave Dr. Banner."

"Dr. Banner?" The Secretary of Defense asked, looking slightly confused.

"Also known as the Hulk," Pepper replied.

"You have that monster living there?" the Secretary of Defense asked.

"Dr. Banner is not a monster," Pepper said coldly. "Nor, from what I have learned, is his alter ego."

"Hulk has killed several good men!" the Secretary of Defense said angrily.

"All of whom were attempting to either harm, kill, or capture him," Pepper retorted. "The only times Hulk has appeared and done any actual damage were when he was being chased about by General Ross and the Army. When that was not the case, there has been a distinct lack of Hulk sightings. That tells me that if left alone, Hulk is not a danger to anyone. The only time he is a danger is when people are attacking him. I was also under the impression that the Army chasing Dr. Banner outside of the United States was illegal, as they had no business in the countries Dr. Banner attempted to hide in. Was I incorrect?"

"No, Ms. Potts, you are indeed correct; the Army does not have the right to go to other countries unless we are in conflict with them, nor does the Army have the right to attempt to enslave a civilian," the President said, looking rather epically pissed off. "It seems I will have to deal with this personally, as my current Secretary of Defense apparently cannot be trusted. I do not know much about Dr. Banner's situation, but I assure you, I will rectify this situation once I am fully informed. Starting with firing you, General; I have no use for a man who thinks hunting his fellow countrymen like dogs is permissible behavior." He returned his attention to Pepper, and asked, "This situation will be resolved shortly. May I ask who you have with you?"

"This is Dr. Natalie McKenzie; she's the therapist for the Avengers, and I asked her to come as I was unsure of whether or not you would require proof that Hulk is not a danger to anyone who's not attacking him," Pepper said.

The President looked interested, and asked, "So can Hulk be worked with, then?"

"I've seen no evidence to the contrary, sir," Natalie said. "He recognizes the other members of the Avengers as at least allies, and I'd say he thinks of Tony Stark as a friend. Judging by his previous experiences with the military, however, I would not advise asking him or Dr. Banner to help with anything that would involve him needing to work with military personnel."

"I wasn't thinking of doing that," the President said. "Have you any idea what Hulk's intelligence level is?"

"At the moment, no," Natalie replied. "I'm not sure he's at the same level as Dr. Banner's own intelligence, but that could be because he's never had the chance to learn anything. I would equate his mentality to that of a five-year-old who doesn't know his own strength at the moment, but as for how intelligent he is, I'm not entirely sure. He seems to use his sense of smell to get the information he needs about any given situation, rather than thinking it through. I have reason to believe that his seeming lack of noteworthy intelligence may be due to the fact that he had never had a chance to learn anything about- well, anything, to be honest."

"Do you have any idea why he takes over Dr. Banner the way he does?" the President asked.

"Yes; Hulk comes out when Dr. Banner's heartrate increases in an attempt to protect him," Natalie replied. "He's unable to differentiate between when Dr. Banner is afraid and when he's angry, however, so he interprets Dr. Banner's heartrate increasing as a sign that he is scared or in danger. He's also under the impression that Dr. Banner cannot get angry, though I'm not quite sure why. I hope to be able to work with him once a week as I do with everyone else here, and hopefully that will improve his and Dr. Banner's ability to cooperate."

"I see," the President said. "I have to go deal with the Ross situation; good luck with your efforts, Dr. McKenzie."

"Thank you, Mr. President," Natalie said.

The President smiled, and said to Pepper, "General Ross will be dealt with immediately, Ms. Potts."

"Thank you, Mr. President," Pepper said.

"You are most welcome," the President said, and ended the call.

Pepper smiled at Natalie and said, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No; I just never thought I'd actually be speaking with the President," Natalie said.

"When I first started working at Stark Industries, I never dreamed I'd go this far," Pepper admitted. "Shall we check on the others?"

"Sure," Natalie said. She followed Pepper back to the communal kitchen, and found Tony and Rhodey back, looking triumphant. "He ran for it after we blew up all the weaponry on the tank," Tony said gleefully.

"Good," Natalie said. She looked over at Thor, and said, "Thor, it's your turn for therapy. And I have a topic I'd like to bring up, so no escaping to Asgard this time."

Thor drooped and followed her to her room. After they were both settled, Natalie got straight to the point. "Thor, do you still see Loki as inferior to you in some way?" she asked bluntly.

Thor shifted uncomfortably, and Natalie said, "I thought so. Would you like to tell me why that is?"

"Not particularly," Thor mumbled.

Natalie mentally sighed and said, "You do realize that just because Loki can't equal you in every way does not make him inferior to you, right?"

Thor looked at her quizzically, and she explained, "Just because Loki doesn't have the same skill set as you does not make him inferior to you. Think about it like this; you're a member of the Avengers, right?" Thor nodded, and Natalie continued, "Each member of the team brings something different to it to create an unbeatable combination. It's the same with you and Loki. You're good at close-range combat techniques, and fighting in general. Loki balances you out by being good at long-range combat and diplomacy. How many times have those skills saved your life in the past?"

"Far too many to count," Thor admitted. "I simply have trouble seeing magic and long-range fighting as a good thing, as I was told for most of my life that it was a coward's way to fight."

"Centuries of a belief can be very difficult to overcome," Natalie replied. "And I assume you're also dealing with the knowledge that Odin was not what you grew up thinking he was, am I right?"

"Yes," Thor said. "Why is long-range fighting so accepted here? You have close-range combat as well."

"Long-range fighting is accepted because we humans have the ability to adapt to new things," Natalie said. "In ancient times, fighting was similar to Asgard's way of doing it. However, as we continued to innovate and adapt, militaries discovered that having a mix of long-range and close-range fighters was a good thing, because while the close-range fighters are distracting the opposite side, the long-range fighters can pick off more people. It's not seen as cowardice here, because we've accepted the fact that war has no rules. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' in war. Yes, people join the military for honor or to fight for what they believe in; but on the battlefield, honor and such notions are a liability, not something to be proud of. War is far from glorious; it's a messy, horrible thing where people get captured, killed, wounded, and tortured. Families are ripped apart by war. I know that both you and Loki have killed people, but war should not be spoken of as a good thing; it's a terrible thing for everyone involved. Each person you kill has a backstory, whether they're evil or not. Some people are forced into the army, and no matter what race you're fighting, they almost always have families or someone they care about waiting for them, hoping and praying that their loved ones will return. When someone doesn't return, their loved ones grieve. Being in a better place is not much of a comfort when your husband, wife, brother, sister, mother, father, or any other family member or friend is gone forever. War is a last resort, not something you should jump into at a moment's notice."

Thor was silent, and Natalie continued, "I want you to think over what I've said, and also remember that just because Loki does things differently from you does not make him inferior to you. No two people can be exactly alike, no matter what race they're from."

"I will remember, and think about what you have said," Thor said. "Was there anything else you wished to speak of?"

"I just wanted to say thanks for the necklace; it's really pretty and I like how it changes color," Natalie said.

Thor grinned, and Natalie smiled back as they headed back to the others.

 **~XXXX~**

 _ **Two days later:**_ Natalie and Loki were getting ready to go to her parents' house when Pepper came in with a triumphant smile on her face. "I got a call from the President," she said happily. "Ross has been arrested, and the trial's set for next week!"

"Wonderful," Natalie said with relief.

Pepper grinned and said, "Also, you've been asked to attend and testify in defense of Hulk."

Natalie blanched. Pepper smiled at her reassuringly and said, "Rhodey's escorting you; don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll do fine. Just remember, you're supporting Bruce."

"Where is the trial?" Natalie asked with trepidation.

"Washington, D.C.," Pepper said. "The rest of us will be watching and cheering you on from here."

"Am I going?" Loki asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Pepper said. "I think people would be nervous, and you weren't specifically invited, nor was anyone else on the team."

Loki looked less than happy with that. Natalie patted his arm and said, "I'll be fine, Loki. We're going to be late if we don't get going."

"You're leaving on Monday, so you should use tomorrow to pack," Pepper said. "Let me know if you need more professional clothing."

"Thanks; I'll check out my wardrobe tonight," Natalie said. "We should be back for dinner, and I'll call Tony if we're not."

"Alright, I'll let him know," Pepper said.

Loki took Natalie's hand, and teleported to her parents' front door. Natalie rang the bell, and her mother came out a few minutes later and let them in. The minute they were through the door, Mrs. McKenzie hugged both of them together. "I take it Dad told you what happened?" Natalie asked dryly, hugging back.

"Yes," Mrs. McKenzie said. "You'd better come out of this alive and in one piece, both of you, or we will be having words, understand?"

"Yes Mom," Natalie said. "Believe me, I don't plan on dying."

"Nor do I," Loki said.

"Good," Mrs. McKenzie said. "Let's have a seat in the living room, and we can talk wedding plans."

They went to the living room, and settled down. "So what are you thinking for the color scheme?" Mrs. McKenzie asked.

"Green and gold," Natalie said, smirking at Loki. "Though I do want a white dress, I think."

"Alright, but dress talks will happen when Loki's not here," Mrs. McKenzie said.

"Whyyyy?" Loki moaned.

"It's considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride's dress before the wedding day," Natalie explained.

Loki sulked as Mrs. McKenzie asked, "So who do you want to be your matron of honor, and what about bridesmaids?"

"I think I want Natasha to be my matron of honor, and Pepper to be my bridesmaid, though I have to ask them," Natalie said. "Do you think Kevin would be the ringbearer?"

"I'm sure he'd be thrilled," Mrs. McKenzie said. "Loki, have you decided who you want to be your best man?"

"I'm going to ask Tony," Loki said.

"Alright," Natalie said. "I'm sure he'll be happy. Mom, do you have any ideas on where to have the wedding?"

"Depends on whether you want in inside or outside," Mrs. McKenzie said.

"I was thinking the ceremony outside, but the reception inside," Natalie said. "I was also thinking mid-July for this; do you think that would work?"

"I think we can make that work," Mrs. McKenzie said. "And I'll start looking for a place. Do you want me to send out invitations too?"

"Please; Loki and I will make a guest list, and Aunt Peggy will be at the top," Natalie said. "Now we need someone to perform the ceremony."

"You know that just about anyone can get a temporary license to perform a wedding ceremony," Mrs. McKenzie commented.

Loki got an evil grin and said, "Steve."

"That's a good idea, if he agrees," Natalie said. "But we should have a back-up. Hmm…. What about Rhodey?"

"Sounds like a good plan," Loki said. "What else?"

"We need a caterer; maybe Tony can recommend someone," Natalie said. "And we need a wedding cake."

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and Mrs. McKenzie said, "Odd; who would that be?" She got up and went to the door, and a minute later Natalie and Loki heard Tony saying, "Hi Mrs. McKenzie, I thought I'd come help with wedding plans."

"Good timing," Mrs. McKenzie said, leading him back to the living room. "We were just discussing caterers, and Natalie suggested asking if you knew anyone."

"Sure do; I always hire Angelo's Catering Services; they're based here in the Village, actually," Tony said. "I'd be happy to hire them for the wedding, and they do cakes as well."

"You don't mind?" Mrs. McKenzie asked.

"Not at all," Tony said. "So what have you got so far?"

"Natalie has to ask Natasha to be her matron of honor and Pepper to be her bridesmaid, we have to ask Steve if he'd be willing to perform the ceremony, and we need to find a place to have the wedding," Loki said. "Mrs. McKenzie says she'll send out invitations, and apparently dress talks will happen when I am not around."

"Cool," Tony said. "So who's going to be your best man?"

"I would like you to be my best man, Tony," Loki said.

"Really?" Tony asked.

"Yes," Loki said.

"Great! I'll help you find a tux, too," Tony said.

"Tux?" Loki asked.

"Tuxedo; it's a fancy suit," Tony said. "That's what most grooms wear."

"Thanks," Loki said.

"Sure," Tony replied. "What are you guys doing about rings?"

"We'll go shopping soon," Natalie said. "I think that's something Loki and I should do together."

"Okay," Tony said. "What's the color scheme?"

"Green and gold," Natalie said.

Tony snickered. "Like Loki's armor?" he asked.

"Exactly," Natalie said. "I was thinking any flowers could be white, though."

"Good idea," Mrs. McKenzie said. "Do you think we should call at least Natasha, so she can give her input?"

"Good plan; maybe we should go back to the tower; Pepper's there too," Tony said. "And you can ask Steve if he's okay with performing the ceremony."

"Alright, let's get going," Natalie said.

They left the house and piled into Tony's car, and he drove back to Avengers Tower. They found all the others except Pepper in the communal living room, watching a baseball game. "Steve, Tasha, the lovebirds have questions for both of you," Tony announced.

Natasha looked up first, and Steve looked over too. "Questions?" he asked.

"Yep," Natalie said. "Loki and I were thinking about who we want to perform the ceremony, and Mom reminded me that practically anyone can get a temporary license to perform a wedding ceremony, so we decided to ask if you'd be willing to do that for us."

"I'd be honored," Steve said. "Thanks. So who's Loki's best man?"

"I am," Tony said happily.

"You said you two have a question for me as well?" Natasha asked.

"Yes," Natalie said. "Natasha, will you be my matron of honor?"

"Are you sure?" Natasha asked.

"I'm positive," Natalie said with a smile.

"What color dress do I have to wear?" Natasha asked.

"I was thinking either green or gold," Natalie said. "That's the color scheme we decided on. I think green would bring out the color of your eyes, but I'm not averse to gold either."

"I think green would make me look like a Christmas ornament," Natasha said dryly.

"Besides, green is overused for bridesmaid dresses," Mrs. McKenzie said.

"Alright, gold it is," Natalie said. "Now I just have to ask Pepper to be my bridesmaid. Hey JARVIS, where is Pepper?"

"She is in her office, Miss McKenzie," JARVIS said. "Shall I ask her to come down here?"

"Please," Natalie said.

There was a pause, and then JARVIS said, "She will be down shortly."

"Thanks," Natalie said.

Pepper came in a little while later, and asked, "Hey Natalie, what's up?"

"Pepper, will you be my bridesmaid?" Natalie asked.

"I'd love to," Pepper said happily. "I take it Natasha is your matron of honor?"

"Yup," Natalie said happily. "Steve is performing the ceremony, and Tony is Loki's best man. And my brother Kevin will be the ringbearer."

"No flower girl?" Pepper asked.

"I didn't really think of that; I don't think we know anyone that age," Natalie said.

"Do we need a flower girl?" Loki asked.

"Not necessarily," Natalie said. "Do you know anyone?"

"No," Loki said. "And it's not like I have a younger sister or anything."

"Alright; let's skip the flower girl then," Natalie said. "We were thinking mid-July for the wedding; does July 18th work, do you think?"

"I think that would work for most of the family," Mrs. McKenzie said. "I believe it's a Sunday."

"Alright," Tony said. "We'll all make sure to clear our schedules for that date then. Rhodey, make sure you tell your superiors you won't be available that day no matter what."

"Got it," Rhodey said.

"So what's left?" Loki asked.

"Finding clothes, finding rings, finding a place to have the wedding, and deciding what to eat," Natalie said. "And sending out invitations."

"I can handle the place and invitations," Mrs. McKenzie said. "I just need a guest list."

"I can email you the guest list," Natalie said. "I'll have it to you later today."

"Great," Mrs. McKenzie said. "When do you want to go dress shopping? And are we taking Pepper and Natasha?"

"I was thinking next weekend, and yes, because we need dresses for them as well," Natalie said. "And I want their input on a wedding dress. Besides, Natasha is the best person to notice if the guys are spying on us- don't look at me like that Loki, you totally would, and so would at least Clint and Tony. And knowing the three of you, you'd blackmail Steve and Bruce into it as well."

The guys pouted at her, and she lifted an eyebrow, unmoved. "Fine, no spying," Loki grumbled.

"Why not this weekend?" Mrs. McKenzie asked.

"I'm going to be packing tomorrow; I've been invited to a trial in Washington, D.C., for the Army General who kept trying to enslave or kill Bruce," Natalie said. "Apparently I'm supposed to testify that Hulk isn't actually a danger to anyone as long as the person in question isn't attacking him. It was the President's idea after I told him my evaluation of Hulk two days ago."

"Wow," Mrs. McKenzie said. "Good luck. Is Loki going with you?"

"No, he wasn't invited," Natalie said. "Rhodey's coming with me though, so at least I'll have one familiar face around."

"Alright," Mrs. McKenzie said. "I hope it goes well. I should get back home; your brother should be home soon. Let me know about next weekend when you figure it out, alright?"

"I will, and Loki and I will make a guest list and send it to you," Natalie said.

"I'll drive you home, Mrs. McKenzie," Tony said.

"Thank you," Mrs. McKenzie said.

They left, and Natalie and Loki sat down to write the guest list for their upcoming wedding.

 **I hope you all like this; it was pretty long. Next chapter will be Ross's trial, and after that I'm not entirely sure, but it will probably have something to do with wedding plans. Please let me know what you think of this!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter 7: Ross's Trial**

Natalie was nervous as she got on a private jet that had been sent for her and Rhodey, but she was trying not to show it. However, as soon as they were in the air, Rhodey asked, "Nervous?"

"That obvious?" Natalie asked with a rueful smile.

"A bit," Rhodey said. "I wouldn't worry too much. Just answer the questions honestly and be polite to everyone you meet. I don't think you'll have to meet Ross though; I told people someone else should do a psych evaluation on the bastard, since you were personally invested in taking him down. I don't think you'd give him a bad evaluation on purpose, but it worked to keep you away from him."

"Thanks," Natalie said. "After what he's done, I think I'd be hard put not to give him a good kick between the legs."

Rhodey winced a bit, then laughed. "That wouldn't go over too well, I imagine," he said.

Natalie smiled, and then a thought occurred to her. "Did anyone speak with the soldiers who were chasing Bruce around, or did everyone focus only on Ross?" she asked.

"The soldiers under Ross's command haven't been implicated in anything I've seen, why?" Rhodey asked.

"Because it occurred to me that some if not all of them might share his mindset," Natalie said.

"That's a good point, but all of Ross's men have been reassigned to units who haven't had experience with Hulk," Rhodey said. "And there was a meeting of all the top brass on Friday; the President decided that it was high time the military realized that having Hulk to protect the planet was a good thing. I can mention it to my superiors, but I'm Air Force, not Army, so I don't know how much effect it'll have."

"Alright," Natalie said.

They landed not long after, and were met by a man in an official-looking suit. "Lt. Colonel Rhodes and Dr. McKenzie?" he asked.

"That's us," Rhodey said.

"I'm Connor Lewis, I'm with the Secret Service," the man said. "I've been asked to escort both of you to your hotel."

"May we see some ID?" Rhodey asked.

"Of course," Mr. Lewis said. He pulled out a badge, and Rhodey inspected it before nodding. "Alright," he said.

"Please follow me, there's a car waiting," Mr. Lewis said.

Natalie and Rhodey followed Mr. Lewis out to a car, and got in. Mr. Lewis got in as well, and Natalie commented, "I didn't expect an escort to the hotel; is something going on?"

"Perceptive, I see," Mr. Lewis said. "Yes, you've both been summoned to meet with the President before the trial, and I was asked to escort you to both the hotel and the White House. The trial is tomorrow at ten AM. I don't know what the President wants to meet with you about though."

"Alright," Natalie said.

They reached the hotel they were staying at, and Mr. Lewis went in with them. They were given adjoining rooms, and after Natalie and Rhodey dropped off their suitcases, they were driven to the White House.

Natalie was amazed at how many security checkpoints there were, but she knew it made sense. Rhodey gently squeezed her shoulder as they went in, and she smiled at him gratefully as they were led to the President's office. Natalie was incredibly grateful she had decided to wear professional clothing for the entire trip, as she would have felt distinctly underdressed in her usual clothing.

The secretary at the door let the President know that Natalie and Rhodey had arrived, and they were let in a minute later. Rhodey saluted, and Natalie followed suit as the President smiled and said, "Dr. McKenzie, Lt. Colonel Rhodes, thank you for coming."

"It was no trouble, sir," Rhodey said.

"Please have a seat," the President said, motioning to two chairs in front of his desk. Natalie and Rhodey obeyed, and the President continued, "I assume you're wondering why I've asked you to come here, so I will get straight to the point. Recently I heard a disturbing rumor that New York City may come under attack soon, and as Ms. Potts informed me that interviewing any of the Avengers while Ross is still in this city is a very bad idea, as they are more likely to sneak off and eliminate him, I decided it would be prudent to ask the two of you to either confirm or deny this rumor."

"It's not a rumor, sir," Natalie said grimly. "We recently got confirmation that there will be a large-scale attack on the city on September 24th."

"Who is leading this attack?" the President asked.

"A being called Thanos, sir," Natalie replied. "He was actually behind the last attack as well; he was using Loki as his puppet. Were you made aware of Loki's circumstances?"

"I'm afraid not," the President said. "Would you care to elaborate?"

Natalie nodded, and said, "Loki was captured by Thanos nearly a year and a half ago, and was tortured for approximately nine months before being put under mind control and forced into attacking the city to retrieve an artifact known as the Tesseract. I am not entirely clear on why no one noticed he was under mind control, but a while after the battle, I found him on my living room floor, and took him in because he was sick. That's how I became involved with the Avengers; they came after him and I was the one who figured out he was under mind control. He lives with me and the other Avengers now, and like everyone else, he has therapy sessions with me. I assure you, Loki is not a danger to anyone. I would have thought someone would have told you about the developments concerning Loki, however."

"The information would have come to my former Secretary of Defense first, and considering I discovered he cannot be trusted, I assume that's why it never reached me," the President said. "Thank you for informing me of this, Dr. McKenzie."

"You're welcome, sir," Natalie said.

"Do either of you know more about the attack on New York City?" the President asked.

"The army from before will be back, along with Thanos, though I don't know about any others; according to Loki, that will be more than enough to be going on with," Natalie said. "The Avengers team, including Loki and myself, will be ready to defend the city; we've been informed that New York City will be the focus of the attack, presumably because the Avengers will be there and Thanos wants us out of the way before he tries conquering anywhere else. However, we've been assured that if Thanos is killed, every being who willingly followed him will die with him."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Dr. McKenzie, but I was under the impression you were a therapist for the Avengers, not a fighter," the President said.

"I don't normally fight with them, that's true," Natalie said. "However, apparently due to my unique skill set, I am the only person who can kill Thanos by becoming a conduit for others' powers. Basically I'll be granted extra powers specifically to rid the universe of Thanos, who is a threat not just to Earth, but the entire universe."

"Extra powers suggests you already have powers," the President commented.

"I do," Natalie said. "However, it's not exactly something I advertise."

"Understandable," the President said. "Do you believe the Army will be needed for this attack?"

"I would recommend talking with Captain Steve Rogers about that; as Captain America, he's the leader of the Avengers team, and would know better than I would if more people will be needed," Natalie replied. "He also fought against the Chitauri army in the first attack, and I didn't, so he'd be the person to go to for advice on this matter."

"Do you have a way of getting in touch with him that I can use?" the President asked.

"Ms. Potts would probably be happy to set up a video call or arrange a meeting, sir," Rhodey said. "Frankly having any of the Avengers in D.C. before Ross is safely behind bars is a bad idea, so I would recommend contacting Ms. Potts after the trial. From what I've seen, Captain Rogers still has trouble with his cell phone, which is the only other means of contacting him."

"I will contact Ms. Potts, then," the President said. "Thank you both for your help in this matter."

"You're welcome, sir," Natalie said.

The President smiled and said, "That was all I wanted to know; good luck with the trial tomorrow, Dr. McKenzie."

"Thank you, Mr. President," Natalie said.

The President nodded, and said, "You both may go."

Natalie and Rhodey got up, and saluted before leaving the office. Mr. Lewis was waiting outside for them, and led them out of the building to the car they had been using. "I'll return at nine AM tomorrow," he told them as they reached the hotel. "The hotel has a really nice restaurant, as I recall, but there are others in the area. See you in the morning."

"Thank you, Mr. Lewis," Natalie said as she and Rhodey got out.

"Of course," Mr. Lewis said. He drove off, and Rhodey asked, "Should we try the hotel's restaurant?"

"Sure," Natalie said.

They went into the hotel, and to the restaurant. Natalie got chicken parmesan, and Rhodey ordered steak and mashed potatoes. They also got key lime pie and carrot cake for dessert; Natalie got the key lime pie and Rhodey got the carrot cake. After Rhodey insisted on paying for both of them, they went back up to their rooms. "How much time do you need in the morning?" Rhodey asked.

"I can be ready in about half an hour," Natalie said. "If I'm not up by seven, will you wake me up?"

"Sure; we have to get breakfast too," Rhodey said.

"Good point," Natalie said. "I think I'll make it an early night."

"Good idea," Rhodey said. "Are you going to call Loki first?"

"Yeah, he's probably going spare right now," Natalie said wryly. She took out her cell phone, and called Loki.

He picked up after only one ring, and asked immediately, _"Natalie, how's it going?"_

"Fine; the trial's tomorrow at ten AM, and I had a meeting with the President today," Natalie said. "He apparently heard about the attack and wanted to discuss what I knew about it."

" _Did that go okay?"_ Loki asked.

"It went fine," Natalie said. "I hope everything goes well tomorrow."

" _You'll be fine,"_ Loki said confidently. _"I know you will."_

Natalie smiled. "Thanks Loki," she said. "I'm going to bed soon; I wanted to call you first."

" _Early night?"_ Loki asked.

"Yeah, I'll be up at seven at the latest tomorrow morning," Natalie said.

" _Ugh,"_ Loki said. _"That's EARLY."_

"Rhodey and I are getting picked up at nine, so we have to get ready and have breakfast before we get picked up," Natalie explained.

" _Still early,"_ Loki commented. _"Tony just said something about movie night."_

"Sorry I have to miss that," Natalie said. "Tell everyone I said hi, okay?"

" _I will,"_ Loki said. _"I love you."_

"I love you too; have a nice night," Natalie said.

" _Thanks, bye,"_ Loki said, sounding a bit forlorn.

"Bye," Natalie said, and waited for the click before hanging up. Rhodey came back in and asked, "Loki doing okay?"

"I think so, but I'm worried about when he goes to sleep; up until now he's had my powers keeping the nightmares away; what's going to happen if I'm not there?" Natalie asked.

"He'll stay up all night with Tony, who will be working on a project, and then they'll come into the kitchen the next morning looking like zombies and drink a pot of coffee each," Rhodey deadpanned.

Natalie giggled. "You know Tony pretty well, don't you?" she asked.

"I'd say so," Rhodey said. "I count myself lucky to be one of the few people he actually lets see the real him sometimes."

"Yeah, being on that list is a privilege," Natalie said. "How long have you known him?"

"Fifteen years now; I was assigned to be his liaison for the military," Rhodey said. "Back when we started out, he hadn't met Pepper yet, and I had my hands full trying to keep him in line. By the time Afghanistan happened, though, we were basically best friends." He sighed. "I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for what happened after we found him and he decided to shut down the weapons division of Stark Industries," he said softly. "I still don't know what possessed me to blow up his house and steal the War Machine armor. And then I found out the whole time, he was dying from palladium poisoning, and I kind of wanted to shoot myself. If I had just realized there was a reason for his weird behavior besides the PTSD, I could have helped him. I still hate myself for that."

"I'm glad you didn't shoot yourself over that," Natalie said. "I think it's good for Tony to have you as a friend- and let's face it, all friendships have their ups and downs. It being Tony, it's not surprising your ups and downs were more dramatic, right?"

Rhodey chuckled. "I suppose," he said. More quietly, "Thanks, Natalie."

"Anytime, Rhodey; you're a friend," Natalie said. "And Tony needs all the friends he can get."

Rhodey smiled. Natalie smiled back, then said, "I think I'll get ready for bed. See you in the morning?"

"Sure," Rhodey said. He went back to his room, and Natalie went to the bathroom with her pajamas.

 _ **The next morning:**_ Natalie was up at seven, and picked out some clothes before going to take a shower. When she was done, she braided her hair, and put on her underthings and tights before picking up a white button-down shirt, and pulling it on. She put on a navy blue pencil skirt too, and went back into the hotel room, where she put on the necklace Thor had given her for her birthday and a pair of navy blue flats to match her skirt. There was a knock on the adjoining door, and Natalie went to get it. Rhodey was standing there in his military dress uniform, and asked, "Shall we go get breakfast?"

"Sure, sounds good," Natalie said. She followed Rhodey downstairs after grabbing her purse, and he asked, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, better than I thought, considering what I've got to look forward to," Natalie said as they looked through the buffet the hotel had for breakfast.

"Good," Rhodey said as they took their findings to a table. "I think you'll do fine. By the way, wasn't that necklace pale purple yesterday?"

"It changes color," Natalie said. "Thor gave it to me for my birthday."

"You had a birthday recently?" Rhodey asked as they ate.

"I turned twenty-three on June 6th," Natalie said.

"Happy belated birthday then," Rhodey said, grinning.

"Thanks," Natalie said, smiling as she finished her breakfast.

They were both outside waiting when the car pulled up and Mr. Lewis rolled down his window. "Good morning," he said. "Ready to go?"

"Yep," Natalie said. She got in the car, as did Rhodey, and they were driven to a large courthouse. Natalie made sure her cell phone was off as they went inside. They were met by a man wearing a similar uniform to Rhodey's, and Rhodey immediately saluted the man, saying, "General Byrd. I didn't know you'd be here."

"Some idiot tried to call you on destroying Ross's weaponry, and since I'm your immediate superior, I got called in to deal with said idiot," General Byrd said.

"Sorry sir," Rhodey said. "I needed to speak with you anyways, though."

"Mr. Stark done something again?" the General asked.

"No sir, I just wanted to let you know that I will be unavailable on July 18th, save the end of the world," Rhodey said.

"Any particular reason?" the General asked mildly.

"I've been invited to a wedding," Rhodey said. The General shot him an incredulous look, and he said, "Natalie here saved Tony's life twice; I am not missing her wedding. Sir."

The General sighed and said, "I'll let the higher-ups know you'll be unavailable on July 18th. You don't often ask for time off, so I'm willing to grant this, and I'm sure they'll be fine with it."

"Thank you, sir," Rhodey said. "I think we've got a trial to get to, though."

"Yes you do, and I've been asked to show you the courtroom," the General said. "Follow me."

Natalie and Rhodey obeyed, and they came to a large courtroom. It was already filling with people, and most of them were military. They were approached by a woman who asked, "Dr. McKenzie?"

"That's me," Natalie said.

"The prosecutor would like to speak with you," the woman said. "Please follow me."

Rhodey squeezed Natalie's shoulder and said softly, "You'll be fine. I'll be in the front row with the other Air Force officers."

"Thanks," Natalie said, and followed the woman to a side room. Another woman was waiting, and she asked, "Dr. McKenzie?"

"Yes," Natalie said.

"I'm Maya Crimini, the prosecutor," the woman said. "I've been asked to fill you in on the proceedings."

"That would be much appreciated, Ms. Crimini," Natalie said.

Ms. Crimini nodded and said, "Ross is being charged with stalking, kidnapping and holding a civilian against her will, attempting to enslave a US citizen, attempted murder, sending troops into an unoccupied country, abuse of rank, and abuse of military resources. It's my job to prove that all these crimes were actually committed, and Mr. Stark sent me basically everything I need to see Ross behind bars for life. However, there have been some concerns about Dr. Banner's alter ego, commonly known as the Hulk. Therefore, you were called in to testify that the Hulk is not actually a danger. Normally this would be a matter left to the military, but as you are the only medical personnel we have who can give an honest evaluation of the Hulk, you were called in as well. We have video of the talk you had with the Hulk, and we will be showing that, but your interpretation of how it went would be greatly appreciated. I'll be the one questioning you; do you have any questions?"

Natalie shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "Am I going to be sitting in the stands, or what, though?"

"You'll be sitting in a chair next to me until your turn at the stand," Ms. Crimini said. "All the seats in the stands are reserved for military personnel, which you are not."

"Alright," Natalie said.

Ms. Crimini nodded and said, "Follow me, it's almost ten."

Natalie followed her out, straightening her shoulders as she did so, and sat down in the chair Ms. Crimini waved her to. She waited as the clock struck ten, and then the judge banged his gavel on the desk, silencing the court. "I hereby call the court to order," he said. "The trial for General Thaddeus Ross begins now. The charges are these; stalking, kidnapping and holding one Dr. Elizabeth Ross against her will, attempting to enslave a US citizen, one Dr. Bruce Banner, abuse of rank, abuse of military resources, sending troops into an unoccupied country, and attempted murder of one Dr. Bruce Banner. How does the defendant plead?"

Natalie couldn't see Ross or his lawyer from her position, but she gritted her teeth when she heard a man's voice say, "Not guilty."

"Very well," the judge said. "Prosecutor, you have the stand."

Ms. Crimini stood and said, "General Ross, you claim to be innocent of all charges. Do you deny that you have been chasing Dr. Bruce Banner wherever he goes in an attempt to capture or kill his alter ego?"

"No," Ross said. "I did what I had to in order to contain the monster."

Ms. Crimini got a distinctly shark-like expression on her face, and asked, "Were you aware that chasing him into Brazil, a country that is not and was not occupied by the United States is illegal?"

There was a pause, and then Ross said, "Yes," in a voice that told Natalie that he knew he was probably screwed now.

Ms. Crimini continued bringing up specific incidents and providing evidence to support them, ripping what was left of Ross's reputation to shreds before finally pulling out a video after another 'monster' comment from Ross.

The video started off with Natalie introducing herself to Hulk, and continued to show the whole conversation they had. Natalie watched the people in the stands go from skeptical to startled, and by the time the video cut off, just before Hulk transformed back into Bruce, everyone was looking thoughtful.

Ms. Crimini turned off the monitor the video had been on, and said, "As I am sure you all can see, Hulk did not attack Dr. McKenzie or Mr. Stark. He also stated that his appearances have been an attempt to protect Dr. Banner. As Dr. McKenzie has more information, I would like to call her to the witness stand. Dr. McKenzie?"

Natalie stood and calmly walked to the witness stand, facing Ms. Crimini. "Dr. McKenzie, what are your thoughts on your first meeting with Hulk?" Ms. Crimini asked after Natalie had sworn to tell the truth.

"I think it went well, and I'm glad I was able to talk with him," Natalie said. "It seems sad to me that he doesn't have many people who see him as anything but a monster, and almost no one seems to talk to him."

"What are your conclusions regarding his intelligence and mental capabilities?" Ms. Crimini asked.

"I believe that his seeming lack of intelligence is due to the fact he has so little interaction with the world outside Dr. Banner's subconscious," Natalie replied. She picked her words carefully, since she could see the news crews out of the corner of her eye. She continued, "Right now I would equate Hulk's mental state as that of a five-year-old child who doesn't know his own strength and desperately wants positive attention. Were he given a chance to learn, I think he might become very intelligent. I'm not sure he'd reach Dr. Banner's level, but few of us do. And he is certainly not mindless. Hulk recognizes the Avengers as allies, and as you saw in the video, he was able to recognize that Loki was no longer a threat."

"So you believe Hulk can learn?" Ms. Crimini asked.

"Yes," Natalie said. "The only reason he hasn't had a chance is because with Ross chasing him all over the place, Dr. Banner was understandably afraid to let him out. Hulk is very noticeable."

"Do you think Hulk is a danger to anyone?" Ms. Crimini asked.

"As long as you're not _shooting guns at him,_ no, I don't believe Hulk is a danger- though considering his experiences with the military, he might see someone in uniform as a threat," Natalie said. "I don't believe he's ever attacked without provocation, however, so I don't see him as a threat to anyone not attacking him."

"It's been pointed out that Hulk has killed several military personnel; what are your thoughts on that?" Ms. Crimini asked.

"Since Hulk was acting in self-defense as the military was trying to kill him, I don't blame him," Natalie said. "As I said before, he has never attacked without first being provoked or threatened in some way. He doesn't even come out unless he thinks Dr. Banner is in danger. I'm sorry to those who lost loved ones, but honestly, if you're going to try to kill someone who can't be harmed by any weapon known to mankind and is able to smash you into pulp with one fist, you might want to rethink your life."

"Do you believe that General Ross's men were at fault for their deaths?" Ms. Crimini asked.

"I think the fault is General Ross's, as he is the one who commanded his men to try to kill someone who can't be harmed by any of the military's weaponry," Natalie replied. "He essentially put them in a situation where they had little to no chance of winning, and therefore, it's his fault his men died. He wasn't forced to attack Hulk."

 _ **Meanwhile, in Avengers Tower:**_ Tony had told Bruce and Betty when the trial would be on TV, and they were currently sitting in front of the TV in their living room; all the others were watching it in the communal living room. "She's got guts," Bruce said, chuckling a bit. "Ross is turning purple." When Betty didn't respond, Bruce looked at her. Betty was silently crying. Alarmed, Bruce asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Betty said, sounding choked up. "I just never thought I'd find someone who agrees with me on that level, and is willing to help you so much. I'm not sure even I would have the courage to talk like that on national television- especially with the General right there. Natalie's amazing….. where did you guys find her?"

"She threatened to break Tony's door down after Thor took Loki from her house," Bruce said with a smile. "She just stormed in looking furious, and started snapping at us. I'm not surprised they ended up together."

Betty smiled.

 _ **Back with Natalie:**_ "Thank you for your insights, Dr. McKenzie," Ms. Crimini said. "You may return to your seat."

Natalie did so, and Ms. Crimini said, "I call General Ross to the stand."

Ross, looking angry, went to the stand, and Ms. Crimini asked, "General, you have said that the Hulk is a mindless monster several times. Considering the lack of evidence of this statement, would you care to explain your reasoning?"

"That thing is a destruction machine," Ross said. "It's not good for anything else. All claims that the monster actually has a brain are just imaginings of delusional youths; ever since the alien attack on Manhattan, people seem to believe the monster can be used for saving people."

"And you don't believe this could be the case?" Ms. Crimini asked.

Ross snorted. "Of course not," he said. "The Hulk is a weapon, nothing more and nothing less. My aim was to control that weapon and revolutionize modern warfare; I don't see anything wrong with my actions."

"And the fact that Hulk is the alter ego of renowned physicist Dr. Bruce Banner doesn't matter to you?" Ms. Crimini asked. "It doesn't matter that this man is merely the victim of an unfortunate accident?"

"What matters is that his alter ego is a raging monster and a danger to society, that should be contained," Ross said.

"You've gone on record as saying that Dr. Banner is government property; were you aware that slavery is illegal in the United States of America, and making a man government property is the equivalent of enslaving him?" Ms. Crimini asked.

"That only applies to humans," Ross said.

"Dr. Banner is a human," Ms. Crimini replied. "Were you aware that according to the President, Dr. Banner was never actually government property, nor was his alter ego?"

"I was," Ross admitted grudgingly.

"Then why did you tell people Dr. Banner was government property?" Ms. Crimini asked.

"Because I intended to contain him and his alter ego, and it would be easier if he was seen as property of the government," Ross growled.

"Why did you attempt to attack Avengers Tower?" Ms. Crimini asked.

"Stark was hiding the monster, and he was behind the kidnapping of my daughter," Ross said. "I intended to capture the monster, but unfortunately failed when Stark and War Machine blew up my weapons."

"You say Mr. Stark kidnapped your daughter," Ms. Crimini commented. "However, all reports say you kidnapped her and used military resources to hold her at Cheyenne Mountain against her will. Stark merely organized a rescue effort and he and War Machine have been cleared of all charges already. Would you care to explain why you kidnapped your own daughter?"

"It was for her own protection; I knew she would try to find the monster again if I let her go," Ross said.

"By all reports, both Dr. Banner and Hulk would never do any harm to Dr. Ross," Ms. Crimini said. "And the fact remains that you held Dr. Ross hostage until she was rescued by War Machine. And before that, you brought her to a battlefield and it was only Hulk's intervention that saved her life. It seems to me that you willingly put your daughter in danger and then kidnapped her after you failed to convince her that Hulk was a danger. Was her wellbeing really what was on your mind, or was it that you wanted to keep Dr. Banner and Hulk's only supporter at the time locked away?"

"How dare you accuse me of putting my daughter in danger?" Ross snarled. "I've done all this to protect her and everyone else from that monster! Why aren't you putting that monster on trial for all the things he did?"

"Because Dr. Banner has done nothing wrong, and Hulk is unlikely to understand court proceedings with his current level of intelligence," Ms. Crimini deadpanned. "You, on the other hand, have committed multiple crimes that need addressing."

Ross finally lost his temper completely, and punched Ms. Crimini in the face. The security guards immediately ran over and restrained him before he could do anything else, and the judge said, "Take him to a holding cell while the jury decides his fate. Everyone not on the jury, there will be a two-hour recess, so please vacate the courtroom until we reach a verdict."

Everyone started filing out, and Natalie looked around for Rhodey once out of the courtroom. He came over a minute later, and said, "Good job up there; would you like to get something to eat at the cafeteria here?"

"Please, I'm starving," Natalie said.

Rhodey grinned and led her to the cafeteria, where they bought sandwiches and went to a table to eat.

They were called back to the courtroom two hours later, and went in, separating to sit in their assigned seats. Once everyone was settled, and Ross had been brought out- in handcuffs this time- the judge banged his gavel, and the room fell silent as he said, "The jury has reached a verdict. Thaddeus Ross, you have been found guilty of all charges, and will be stripped of your rank and remanded to Leavenworth, where you will spend the rest of your life with no possibility of parole."

Ross had to be dragged out of the room, screaming denials, and Natalie was hard-put to keep from cheering. After the judge dismissed them, Natalie met up with Rhodey again, and they left the building. Mr. Lewis drove up shortly after, and said, "I see it went well."

"Very well, thanks," Natalie said with a grin. She and Rhodey got in the car, and Mr. Lewis drove them back to the hotel. "Your flight is ready whenever you are," he told them.

"Alright; I just have to pack my bathroom stuff up, and then I can be ready," Natalie said.

"Same here," Rhodey said.

"I'll wait for you here," Mr. Lewis said.

"Thanks," Natalie said. She and Rhodey went back to their rooms, quickly packed, and went back down to the lobby, giving the receptionist their keys and then heading out. Mr. Lewis drove them to the airport, and soon after, they were flying back to New York City.

 **That was a long chapter! Ross is now a thing of the past, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Some reviews would be nice…. Have a nice day!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter Eight: Visitors and Fun**

Natalie and Rhodey came back to Avengers Tower late at night, and Natalie was very surprised when Betty, who she had barely had a chance to chat with since she got there, was the first to greet her, pulling her into a hug and holding on tightly. Natalie hugged back, and Betty said, "Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea what it means to me, having someone else who believes Hulk can be a good person. And you put the General behind bars for life. Natalie, I'll never be able to thank you enough, for what you've done for me, Bruce, and for Hulk, too."

"I'm just glad everything worked out," Natalie said. "And you're welcome. I would never condone what Ross did, to you or to Bruce. I frankly don't know how anyone could condone that kind of behavior."

Betty pulled back a bit and said, "I don't know either, but I'm glad it worked out. I don't think I'd have the courage to do what you did, especially with the General right there. He was turning purple while you spoke."

"He'd be in for a nasty surprise if he tried to attack Natalie," Tony said.

Natalie grinned. Rhodey laughed and said, "It would have been cool to see you take him down a few pegs, but I'm glad he didn't attack you, Natalie. I have to get going, though."

Natalie hugged him and said, "Thanks for your company in D.C., Rhodey. I was really grateful to have at least one familiar face around."

"No problem," Rhodey said. "By the way, where did you learn to salute? I noticed you copied me when we met the President, but most civilians get it wrong."

"Some of my fighting teachers were retired military personnel," Natalie said. "Aunt Peggy made sure I got the best- which wasn't hard, considering her status."

"Peggy? As in Peggy Carter?" Rhodey asked.

"She's my dad's godmother, and my grandmother in everything but blood," Natalie said. "And the person who decided I needed to learn to defend myself. Anyways, one of my teachers taught me the proper way to salute, so that's how I know."

"Wow," Rhodey said. "She must be pretty old now, right?"

"Don't tell her this, but she's in her eighties, I think," Natalie said with a grin. "She tells everyone she's 'sixty and getting younger by the day'."

That got a round of laughter from everyone. Steve grinned and said, "Yeah, that sounds like Peggy."

Rhodey took his leave shortly after, and the others drifted off too, except for Betty, Bruce, and Loki. Bruce looked at Natalie, and smiled. "Thanks, Natalie," he said. "Betty's right, you're amazing."

"No problem," Natalie said. "You're a friend, so is Hulk, and I'd never let either of you down."

Bruce smiled.

Loki came over and kissed Natalie right away. Natalie kissed back, smiling against Loki's mouth. When they broke it off, Loki scooped her up and teleported to their room. "Missed me?" Natalie asked him when he didn't put her down.

"You have no idea," Loki said roughly, and kissed her again. Natalie responded to the desperation he showed by linking her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. When they came up for air, Natalie asked, "Did you get any sleep while I was gone?"

"No," Loki admitted. "Tony and I stayed in the lab all night and worked on projects."

"I'm sorry," Natalie said. "I was worried about that. Rhodey said if Tony was any indication, you'd 'stay up all night, come out to the kitchen the next day looking like zombies, and drink a pot of coffee each.'"

"He was right," Loki said. "Can we go to bed?"

Natalie smiled. "Of course, let me just change into pajamas," she said.

Loki set her down, and she got her pajamas out of her suitcase, and changed before climbing into bed with Loki. He immediately cuddled her, and she cuddled him back. His clinginess worried her a bit, but since he was half-asleep already, she figured it could wait.

 _ **The next day:**_ Natalie woke up with Loki still cuddling her. Smiling, she started to sit up, gently trying to disentangle herself from him so she could take a shower. She was surprised when instead of letting go like he normally did, and mumbling something about 'too early', Loki actually whimpered and pulled her closer in his sleep. "Don't leave…." he mumbled softly.

"I won't leave, I just want to sit up," Natalie said softly.

Loki half-opened his eyes sleepily, and Natalie ran her fingers through his hair. "No leaving," he said sleepily, as he adjusted his grip so she could sit up. Natalie sat up, and was about to start stroking Loki's hair when she noticed a human-sized lump on her other side. She hesitantly poked whoever it was, and was puzzled when she realized it was Tony from the sound of his groan. "Not morning…." he mumbled.

"Tony, why are you sleeping in Loki's and my bed?" Natalie asked.

"'Cause Bruce and Betty got the sofa bed," Tony grumbled.

Natalie looked over at the sofa, which had been unfolded into a bed at some point, and sure enough, Bruce and Betty were curled up together on in. Looking around, Natalie suddenly realized that the room was full of sleeping people. Steve and Bucky were curled up in sleeping bags together, Natasha was curled up in an armchair, Clint was sleeping on top of a bookshelf for some reason, and Thor was sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor near the sofa bed. "Uh…. Tony, why is everyone in the tower sleeping in here?" Natalie asked.

"Loki wasn't the only one who missed you," Tony said sleepily. "So the rest of us decided that we'd come sleep in here. We didn't think you'd be the first one up though- usually that's Steve."

"That's sweet of you," Natalie said, smiling.

The others were starting to wake up- aside from Loki, who was still sleeping. Natalie got a positively evil idea to wake him up, and whispered in his ear, "Loki, Thor tried to kiss me."

All the others woke up too when Loki sat bolt upright and snarled, "Thor's going to be a toad for the rest of the week!"

"What have I done to deserve being a toad?" Thor moaned.

Natalie started giggling uncontrollably, and Loki looked at her warily. "Loki, I was joking," she gasped. "Do you honestly think Thor would try to kiss me?"

"I was half-asleep," Loki said sulkily. He snapped his fingers, and Thor started shrinking. "Note to self, NEVER wake Loki up," Tony deadpanned as Thor became a toad.

"Stark, I suggest you get out of our bed before you become something else as well," Loki said. Tony hastily obeyed. The others got up and started cleaning up. "I think I'll take a shower," Natalie said. "Loki, will you turn Thor back into his normal form?"

"Do you like him?" Loki asked suspiciously.

"Not the way I like you," Natalie sighed wearily. "Haven't we been through this already?"

"I'm NOT turning Thor back into an Aesir," Loki said grouchily.

"Okay, never mind, just don't keep him like that forever," Natalie sighed. "We'll need him at some point, I'm sure."

Loki perked up slightly, and Natalie kissed his cheek before going to take a shower. Steve took Thor the toad with him when he left.

When Natalie got out of the shower, she got dressed and did her hair before leaving and going to find Loki. He was waiting for her looking like a puppy waiting for its master to come home. "Loki, you look like a puppy," Natalie deadpanned.

"I missed you," Loki sulked.

"I was gone for fifteen minutes," Natalie said. "Do we need to work on co-dependency issues?"

"No," Loki groused. "Can I take a shower?"

"Sure, I'll be downstairs," Natalie said. "I'm hungry."

Loki sighed and went to take a shower. Natalie went downstairs, and was surprised to find that they had visitors- Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun were sitting at the table, along with everyone except Steve, who was cooking. "Hello Natalie," Sif said.

"Hi Sif," Natalie said. "Did something happen, or are you guys just visiting?"

"We are here merely to visit- though Steven said that we should wait for you to explain where Thor is," Sif said.

Natalie gave Steve a Look, and asked, "I thought you had him?"

"Um….." Steve said. "I think he saw a fly?"

"I am confused," Volstagg said.

Natalie groaned. "I woke Loki up by telling him Thor kissed me, he turned Thor into a toad, and even though I explained it was a joke, he's now refusing to turn Thor back into an Aesir," she said.

"WHY did you wake Loki up?" Fandral asked incredulously.

"And how did you manage not to get turned into something?" Sif asked.

"I woke him up because he wouldn't let go of me and I wanted to get up, and I suppose he didn't turn me into a toad because he loves me," Natalie said. "Or because Thor is a better target, one or the other."

"So Thor is now a toad that is lost in this tower?" Sif clarified.

"Apparently," Natalie said, giving Steve another Look. He cringed.

Loki came in, and asked, "Is breakfast ready?"

"Not yet," Steve said. "I kind of lost Thor, by the way."

"That is easily remedied," Loki commented, and snapped his fingers. Thor the toad zoomed into the room, and floated down to land in Loki's hand. Thor croaked indignantly. "I don't CARE if you would rather be an Aesir," Loki told him. Thor bit his finger, and Loki laughed. "Forgetting that toads don't have teeth, Thor?" he asked.

Thor croaked at him, sounding angry this time. By this point most of the people in the room looked at least amused- or in Tony and Bucky's cases, they were laughing their asses off. "Breakfast is ready," Steve said. "Loki, what do toads eat?"

"Bugs and sometimes fruit, I believe," Loki said. "I would recommend fruit, since if we give him bugs, he'll kill me later."

"He won't anyways?" Fandral asked skeptically.

"He'd better not," Natalie said, giving Thor a warning look. "I do not want Loki to die before our wedding." Thor hunkered down on Loki's hand, looking about as guilty as a toad can look.

"Wedding?" Fandral asked.

"I asked Natalie to marry me on her birthday," Loki said. "She said yes."

"Loki, we still have to find rings we like," Natalie commented. "And apparently we need a terrarium for Thor, because I don't think we want him getting lost again. He might get stepped on."

Loki sighed and waved a hand. A glass box appeared, and he set Thor inside it along with some strawberry slices and a few raspberries. Then he went to wash his hands, ignoring the glare he got from Thor. "Hey Loki, can you get me a sheet of tin foil?" Natalie asked.

"Sure," Loki said, opening a drawer. He got out a sheet of tin foil, handed it to Natalie, and dug into the breakfast Steve had made- which was waffles and bacon. Natalie set it aside, and finished her breakfast before starting to make something out of the tin foil, giggling evilly the whole time.

"Dare I ask why you are giggling in that manner?" Sif asked.

"You'll see," Natalie said sweetly. She finished whatever she was making, and held it up. It was a miniature helmet that resembled Thor's actual helmet. She reached into the glass box Loki had made, and set the 'helmet' on Thor's head. Thor croaked, resulting in everyone save Hogun bursting out laughing.

When they had calmed down (somewhat), Steve asked, "What are we going to do about Evergreen?"

"Do cats eat toads?" Loki asked.

"You have a cat?" Sif asked warily.

"Midgardian domesticated cats aren't that big," Loki said. "But Evergreen might be big enough to eat Thor."

"Catch him, yes," Natalie said. "But Evergreen's just a kitten; she would have to eat him in pieces if she wanted to at all."

"Okay, even I'm not willing to watch Evergreen eat Thor," Loki admitted. "I'll turn him into something else."

"No dogs," Tony said.

"What about a guinea pig?" Clint suggested, snickering. "He'd be about Evergreen's size, and still look ridiculous."

"Guinea pig?" Loki asked.

"Basically a giant hamster," Tony explained. "JARVIS, show Loki what they look like."

A hologram with a Wikipedia page popped up in front of Loki, and he looked at it curiously- then laughed evilly. "Oh yes," he cackled. "This NEEDS to happen." He waved a hand at Thor the toad, and he became Thor the blonde guinea pig. Loki enlarged the glass box, and Natalie said, "Remember, he's got teeth now."

"I know, which is why I won't be picking him up," Loki said. "Not that I think he'll be able to do much damage."

"He is kind of…. sweet-looking," Sif said, looking at Thor- who gave her a betrayed look.

Tony, Natalie, and Loki cackled until JARVIS said, "Sir, Dr. Foster is here."

"Oh good," Tony said gleefully. "Did she bring Darcy?"

"Miss Lewis is here as well, yes," JARVIS said.

In response to the others' puzzled looks, Tony said, "I finally got her to agree to my offer of a job. So now she and her assistant Darcy will be living here too."

"Good," Natalie said. "We need more women."

"You do realize that I can turn into a woman, right?" Loki asked.

"Yeah, but I thought you liked being a guy more," Natalie said. "Besides, it's not like the rest of us can turn back into men before that time of the month, you know."

"I enjoy both forms," Loki said. "That's probably why I'm bi as opposed to straight or gay."

"Can I see what you look like?" Natalie asked.

Loki shrugged and shapeshifted into a woman, making sure he shifted his clothing as well. Once transformed, Loki looked at Natalie a bit hesitantly. She was not expecting her to practically smash her lips against hers, and it took a minute before she kissed Natalie back, pulling her into her lap. Loki was surprised to find that Natalie was kissing her more passionately than usual, and while she responded, she did wonder what was causing that.

When they broke it off, Loki asked, "So what brought that on?"

"You remember I told you that for most of my life I thought I was a lesbian, right?" Natalie asked.

"Yeah," Loki said. "Does that mean you're more attracted to my female form?"

"Physically speaking, yes," Natalie said.

"And mentally speaking?" Loki asked.

"Mentally speaking, as long as you're the Loki I know and love, I will love and stand by you no matter what," Natalie said. "Female or male form, I love you. It's just that your female form evokes more emotions in me than your male form for some reason. And since we're at the breakfast table, not in our bedroom, I'll tell you more later."

"What if I went crazy again?" Loki asked quietly.

"I'd do whatever it took to help you," Natalie said.

"Even if I hurt you?" Loki asked.

"The only way you could really hurt me is by leaving me," Natalie said. "Isn't that how you feel too?"

"Yes," Loki said softly. "I would wither away and die if you left me."

"Then it's a good thing I never want to leave you," Natalie said with a smile.

Loki smiled back- until Tony said, "Damn that was hot."

Loki glared at him as Natalie turned red and got off Loki's lap. Loki sighed and turned herself back into a man, noticing Clint was drooling slightly. "Barton, if you come NEAR me or Natalie anytime soon, Thor won't be the only guinea pig in the tower," he snapped. "Now quit drooling."

Clint turned red and wiped his mouth, then tried to leave the kitchen- only to get grabbed by Natasha, who dragged him off. Over her shoulder she said, "I'll set him straight for you, Loki."

"My thanks," Loki said, smirking at Clint's doomed look.

After Natasha and Clint were gone, Fandral said, "Loki, we actually had another reason for coming besides visiting."

"Do I want to know?" Loki sighed.

"It was brought to Queen Frigga's attention that as Midgard is not officially allied with any other realms, that your marriage to Lady Natalie would not be recognized in the other realms if it takes place here," Volstagg said. "She has suggested having two ceremonies, so you will not have to forego your plans here."

Loki groaned loudly.

 **I KNOW it's filler, but Thor had to be turned into a toad, so… yeah. Anyways, question: Should I continue wedding plans next chapter, or should I make the story live up to its title and make next chapter be Bucky's therapy? Let me know, and depending on the outcome, I'll write what people want most. Review please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter 9: Bucky's Therapy and Chocolate Mousse**

Sif and the Warriors Three went to explore the tower soon after breaking the news to Loki and Natalie that they'd most likely need two weddings, and Natalie sighed. "Loki, can you manage on your own for an hour or so?" she asked.

"If I must; why?" Loki asked.

"I've been putting off Bucky's therapy for a while to let him get settled in, but I don't think it's a good idea to let him hold stuff in for too long, considering what he's gone through," Natalie said. "I made sure to blunt the emotional impact of the memories I brought back when I was in his mind, but I still think he needs therapy."

"Oh, I agree," Loki said. "Go ahead, I'll be tying pink bows in Thor's fur if you need me. Are all guinea pigs this shaggy?"

"No, I imagine it's a side effect of his normal form having long hair," Natalie said. She waved and headed out, Loki's evil cackling following her out as she asked, "JARVIS, where's Bucky?"

"Sergeant Barnes is in the training room with Captain Rogers, Miss McKenzie," JARVIS said. "Shall I take you down there?"

"That'd be great, thanks," Natalie said, getting in the elevator. Once it was moving, Natalie asked something she'd been wondering about for a while. "JARVIS, you're not just a very sophisticated AI, are you?" she asked.

The elevator stopped between floors, and JARVIS said after a moment, "The only reason I am telling you this is because you have helped Sir more than anyone else I have ever had the pleasure to meet. You came here, and Sir was the first person aside from Mr. Loki that you attempted to help. While Ms. Potts and Lt. Colonel Rhodes have been very helpful to Sir, they have not even managed half of what you have, Miss McKenzie. You understand Sir on a seemingly instinctual level, despite having little to nothing in common with him. My primary function is to ensure Sir's wellbeing, and you have helped more than even Ms. Potts has. Within hours of meeting Sir, you had stripped through the masks he wears, and were working on helping him for no other reason than that he needed that help. I can honestly say that I have never met a more selfless individual in my entire existence. However, I must insist that you keep knowledge of my capabilities to yourself. I trust you, but I do not trust others in the same way."

"I understand, and I swear not to mention whatever you see fit to tell me," Natalie said. "I'm honored that you trust me, actually."

"Thank you," JARVIS said, sounding pleased. "You are correct in your assumptions that I am not just a 'very sophisticated AI'. I am about as close to sapient as I can be without having a body. Sir ensured that I would understand emotion as well as words, and I am capable of both emotion and independent action on Sir's behalf. Sir also ensured I would never 'go Skynet' as he put it."

"Tony really is something, isn't he?" Natalie asked, somewhat rhetorically. "I don't think anyone else could give a computer program a soul."

"Indeed, Miss McKenzie," JARVIS said, as the elevator began moving again. "And thank you, for making my job easier."

"You're very welcome," Natalie said warmly, as the elevator let her off at the training floor. She found Bucky and Steve beating up punching bags together, and they both looked up as she came in. "Natalie? What's up?" Steve asked.

"I came to borrow Bucky for a bit; I think it's time I started therapy with him," Natalie said. She looked at Bucky, and asked, "Anywhere in particular you'd be comfortable talking?"

"You're not dragging me to some office?" Bucky asked.

"Since I don't HAVE an office, no," Natalie said. "Besides, I find it puts people at ease when I give them the choice of where to talk."

Bucky glanced at Steve, and Natalie added, "Steve can stay for moral support, if you want."

"Can we do it in here?" Bucky asked after a minute.

"Sure," Natalie said. "JARVIS, inform the others the gym is off-limits for a while."

"Certainly, Miss McKenzie," JARVIS said.

Natalie smiled. Bucky looked at her, and asked, "What are we talking about?"

"Whatever you want," Natalie said. "I'm not going to force you into anything, and we don't need to get into the heavy stuff yet unless you want to. I was thinking you should get comfortable talking to me before we get into anything heavy, but it's up to you. This is to help YOU, not me."

"Did you do something to my memories?" Bucky asked, seemingly at random.

"I blunted the emotional impact that your memories of being tortured and forced into being the Winter Soldier would have," Natalie said. "What you went through was horrific, and I didn't want you to kill yourself or something. Why do you ask?"

"I'm not as horrified or depressed as I thought I'd be," Bucky said. "I thought I'd be a gibbering wreck after what happened."

"You probably would have been if I hadn't blunted the memories," Natalie admitted. "I'm sorry I didn't ask permission first, but I knew that if you did become a gibbering wreck, it would be a lot harder for you to recover. And honestly, we need all the help we can get in the upcoming fight."

"I can't protect Steve as a gibbering wreck, so thanks," Bucky said. He sighed and sat down on one of the benches against the wall, and Natalie and Steve joined him as he said, "You know, I never really expected to survive the fall off that train, and in a lot of ways, it would have been better if that fall had killed me, considering what happened afterwards. The first thing the HYDRA goons told me was that Steve was dead, and they kept reiterating that along with torturing me. I guess I should be proud that I never actually broke under their torture, even after months of it; they literally had to wipe out my memory and rearrange my mind somehow before I became the Winter Soldier- and even then they kind of shot themselves in the foot, because by wiping my memory, they also wiped the memories of them telling me Steve was dead. And I got memories back occasionally, but they had this device that would wipe my memories every time I got too far out of their control. I was treated worse than any of the other operatives, too- which is saying something, considering HYDRA treats all its operatives as tools at best. I guess they figured out early on that I was so loyal to Steve it took precedence over every other aspect of my life. Even when I was in the Army, I was still more loyal to Steve than I was to my country or commanding officers, and after Steve rescued me and nearly four hundred others from my division, that loyalty only got stronger."

Bucky paused, then continued, "Maybe I won't ever be the same, but one thing hasn't changed, and that's my loyalty to Steve."

"That's good to hear," Natalie said. "I don't believe true friendships ever really die."

Bucky smiled. Natalie smiled back, and asked, "Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Maybe another time," Bucky said. "What are you doing next?"

"Seeing how Loki's doing; he said he'd be tying pink bows in Thor's fur," Natalie said.

Bucky laughed. "I'd like to see that," he said.

"You can come too if you'd like," Natalie offered.

Bucky got up, and asked, "Stevie, you coming?"

"I think I'll keep working out," Steve said.

"Alright," Natalie said. "Let me know if you need to talk later."

"Thanks," Steve said, heading back to the punching bag he had been beating up before. Natalie and Bucky headed upstairs, and Natalie led the way to the kitchen, hearing laughter.

They found Tony and Loki laughing their asses off at Thor the guinea pig, who was now covered in pink bows and had a frilly lace collar for some reason. Natalie started laughing, joined by Bucky, and said, "That's priceless! I hope you two got pictures."

In response, Tony held up a camera. Thor was glaring at them, but he looked so ridiculous everyone just burst out laughing again. Sif and the Warriors Three came back at that point, and Sif asked, "What is so amusing?"

Loki pointed to Thor, and Sif actually snickered a bit. "He looks ridiculous," she said. "Do you not think collar is overkill, though?"

"I think the collar just makes him look more ridiculous," Natalie giggled. "Loki, you were right; we should definitely keep him like this for a while."

"Judging by the look he is giving you, I do not believe that is wise," Volstagg commented.

"I'll turn him back tomorrow," Loki said casually. "Natalie, are you making anything for dessert today?"

"I was thinking chocolate mousse," Natalie said. Loki tilted his head curiously, and Natalie smiled, thinking it was cute. "It's the filling I put in the cake we had last week," she said.

Loki perked up. "How long does it take?" he asked eagerly.

"Not long to make, but then it has to cool," Natalie said. "And that takes at least an hour."

Loki sighed, then asked, "How much are you making?"

"I'm going to make two quadruple batches, even though it's really rich," Natalie said. "A single batch won't be nearly enough for the amount of people here. And NO, you do not get to help."

"Whyyyy?" Loki moaned.

"Because you always eat half the chocolate before it goes in," Natalie said. "Sif, would you like to help?"

"I am not very good at cooking…." Sif said uncertainly.

"You can do the mixing," Natalie offered. "I'll melt the chocolate. And I can show you how to do everything anyways."

"Alright," Sif agreed.

"Good, go wash your hands," Natalie said. "And don't forget soap."

Sif looked a bit quizzical, but obeyed as Natalie got out a lot of bittersweet chocolate and whipping cream. She also got out a pot, a liquid measuring cup, and two bowls, including a large metal one. Filling the pot with water, she set it on the stove to boil, and started breaking up the bittersweet chocolate. "Sif, take one of the mixing bowls, and measure out ten cups of the whipping cream into it."

"Cups?" Sif asked.

Natalie handed her the liquid measuring cup, and pointed to the line that said 'one cup'. "Fill it up to this line, and pour it into the mixing bowl," she explained. "You'll need to do it ten times. Here's the whipping cream, and there's more in the fridge for when you run out."

Sif nodded and started measuring as Natalie dumped all the chocolate she had just broken up into the metal bowl and put it over the now-boiling pot of water. She stirred it, then looked over as Sif asked, "What now?"

"You have to mix it until it's semi-solid," Natalie said, and handed her a whisk, before going back to stirring the chocolate. When it was melted, she turned off the stove and set the chocolate aside to see how Sif was doing. She had just managed to get the whipping cream to the correct consistency, and Natalie said, "That's good, you can stop now."

"What do we do next?" Sif asked.

"We pour the chocolate into the cream, mix it up, and put it in the fridge," Natalie said. She picked the bowl up with oven mitts, and poured the chocolate into the cream, getting it out with a spatula. She quickly put the bowl in the sink and filled it with water, then said, "Sif, you can mix that up."

"Alright," Sif said. She did so as Natalie started cleaning up, and finally asked, "Is this good?"

Natalie looked and said, "Looks fine to me; good job. I'm glad Tony has these huge bowls. Now we cover it and put it in the fridge for an hour or so." She got some plastic wrap, and covered the mousse, then lifted the bowl up and took it to the fridge, setting it down on a shelf and leaving it. When she turned back to the room at large, she noticed Loki wasn't in the room anymore. "Where's Loki?" she asked.

Sif looked around, and noticed the Warriors Three were also suspiciously absent. "I did not even notice them leave," she said.

"Fandral made a rather inappropriate comment, and Mr. Loki dragged him off to the training room, Miss McKenzie," JARVIS said. "Volstagg and Hogun followed them."

"Was the inappropriate comment about me?" Natalie asked.

"Yes," JARVIS said. "I would rather not repeat it however."

"You don't need to; Fandral is about to get his ass kicked," Natalie growled, and headed for the training room. Sif followed, curious to see what Natalie would do.

They found Loki and Fandral fighting with two daggers and a rapier, respectively, and Volstagg and Hogun watching. Natalie went over to the two, and kicked Fandral's sword arm, causing the rapier he was using to fly out of his hand. Natalie caught it, and Loki and Fandral stared at her. "Loki, it's my turn," Natalie said coolly.

"He was making rude comments about your 'assets'," Loki groused.

"Which is why I'm going to kick his ass," Natalie said.

 **I really have no excuse for how late this is. I hope you like it though, and sorry I didn't do much for Bucky's therapy. I couldn't think of anything else. Next up- Natalie vs. Fandral!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter 10: Natalie vs. Fandral**

Loki sighed and asked, "Do you need my daggers?"

"No, I want to fight hand-to-hand," Natalie said. "Here, take this so Fandral doesn't get any ideas." She handed him the rapier, and Loki took it, then got out of the way as Natalie glared at Fandral. "I have a feeling that I probably don't WANT to know what you said about me," she commented icily as she got in position in the sparring area. "But judging by the fact it caused Loki to attack you rather than turn your hair pink again, I'm guessing it was pretty horrible."

Fandral looked distinctly uncomfortable, and Natalie snorted before darting forward. She had been working on her speed with Loki, and though Fandral was faster than Thor or Volstagg, he still wasn't able to dodge the kick Natalie aimed at his side. The result was some bruised ribs, and Fandral looked shocked for about a minute before aiming a punch at Natalie's face. She ducked under the punch, and used the momentum to throw Fandral.

Unfortunately, he managed to land in a crouch, but Natalie had turned by then, and dodged another punch, this time punching Fandral's shoulder in a spot that she knew would make his arm go numb. It worked, and Fandral had to resort to trying to kick her, unable to use his right arm. Natalie grabbed his ankle and yanked it up, resulting in Fandral falling flat on his back. She didn't give him a chance to recover; instead she kicked him hard in the place where the sun doesn't shine, and while he was moaning in pain, she planted a foot on his chest, smashed one fist into her other hand, and said icily, "If you ever insult me OR Loki again, you'll be in a lot more pain than you are now, is that clear?"

"Yes," Fandral squeaked.

Natalie gave him a very scary smile, and said, "Good." She took her foot off his chest, and left him on the floor. Then she turned to the others, and noticed Tony had joined Loki, Sif, Volstagg, and Hogun. "Guys, Fandral is no longer welcome here," Natalie said.

"I agree," Tony said. He looked at Volstagg, Sif, and Hogun, and said, "I'd suggest taking him back to Asgard. You three can still come, but Fandral isn't welcome anymore."

"And if he does have the nerve to come back, I'll just beat him up and then brutally humiliate him," Loki added. "Speaking of which…." He waved a hand, and Fandral's hair turned hot pink. Volstagg just shook his head and dragged Fandral off.

Tony snickered and asked, "How long will that last?"

"Until I take it off," Loki said. "In other words, never. And I made sure Mother cannot get it off either."

Natalie giggled and kissed Loki's cheek. "Thanks Loki," she said.

Loki smirked. It faded when JARVIS piped up, saying, "Miss McKenzie, I would advise you to go check on Captain Rogers."

"Is he still beating up punching bags?" Natalie asked.

"Yes," JARVIS replied.

"I'm on my way; that cannot be healthy, considering he's been at it for at least four hours," Natalie said grimly, and headed to the next room, where the punching bags were. She found Steve beating up one of the bags Tony had made to handle his enhanced strength, and went over. She noticed Steve's hands were bleeding, and sighed before grabbing his arm. Startled, Steve looked over at her. "Natalie?" he asked.

"Steve, you need to take a break; you've been at this for over four hours and your hands are bleeding," Natalie said sternly.

Steve gave her a mulish look. Natalie raised one eyebrow, giving him her mother's patented 'Mom Look', and he sighed. "Do I have to talk about it?" he asked.

"Considering you're willingly hurting yourself because of what you learned, yes," Natalie said. "Let's at least have a seat."

Steve sighed again and went to sit on one of the benches. Natalie joined him, and commented, "I take it you're blaming yourself for what happened to Bucky?"

"I don't know how you do that," Steve grumbled.

"I'll take that as a yes," Natalie said. "Would you like to tell me where you got the idea that it's your fault that HYDRA found and tortured Bucky?"

"I couldn't save him from falling off the train," Steve said gloomily.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you fighting several HYDRA goons at the time?" Natalie asked. "One of MY first lessons was 'never take your eyes off your opponent'."

"I should have been able to save him and defeat the Hydra goons," Steve said. "Bucky always protected me before the serum, and when it counted, I couldn't return the favor. And look what happened! I should have at least looked for him, and I didn't."

"Weren't you busy capturing Zola?" Natalie asked reasonably. "By the time you got Zola and took him back to whatever base you were at, Bucky would not have been in the same place, and he might have been captured by that point anyways. So it comes down to this- was it more important to look for Bucky, or was it more important to capture a man who had a lot of information on HYDRA? I doubt anyone would be happy with you if you had abandoned the mission to go search for Bucky. And you didn't even know that he survived; there was almost no chance of him surviving a fall like that, much less the hypothermia he probably had. Bucky doesn't blame you for thinking he was dead; it was the logical conclusion, and I'm fairly certain that had you abandoned the mission to go find him, he'd be pissed at you too."

"How do you know all this stuff, anyways?" Steve asked.

"Aunt Peggy," Natalie said simply. "Part of my training was running through scenarios; she wanted to see if I could be trusted to do the right thing in any given situation. In your place, I would have done the same thing- finished the mission. Although I wouldn't have tried to get drunk afterwards."

"What would you have done?" Steve asked.

"Gymnastics," Natalie said. "That's how I always deal with my feelings; gymnastics practice. Remember the first time Rhodey came over?"

"Yeah," Steve said. "He and Tony were going to get drunk."

"I said it was fine, and went to go do gymnastics, because it wasn't fine and I didn't want to make them unhappy," Natalie said. "I know you deal with your feelings by beating up punching bags, but making your hands bleed is going a bit too far."

Steve sighed, then asked, "Did you let Peggy know about Bucky?"

"Damn, I forgot to call her!" Natalie moaned. "She's going to kill me if Dad hasn't already told her."

Steve chuckled and said, "Why don't you go call her, and I'll get cleaned up."

"No more punching bags today," Natalie said, and headed off as Steve looked sheepish.

Natalie ran into Loki on the way up to their room, where she had left her cell phone, and he asked, "How's Steve?"

"Better now that he's had a chance to think and talk about his feelings, I think," Natalie said. "I hope he remembers to clean the cuts on his hands out; he was punching the bag so hard for so long his hands started bleeding. I'm going to go call Aunt Peggy; it occurred to me that she will probably want to know about Bucky."

"Good idea," Loki said. "Have fun. I will go check on Thor."

Natalie giggled and went up to their room. Picking up her cell phone, she scrolled through her contacts, and found Peggy's number, then hit Send. She was surprised when it went to voicemail, and decided to try Peggy's cell phone, figuring she might be out.

This time, after two rings, she heard, _"Hello Natalie, what's going on?"_

"Did Dad tell you the news?" Natalie asked.

" _Yes, in fact I'm at your parents' house right now, and your dad is trying to get ahold of Tony so he can ask if it's alright for him to bring me over,"_ Peggy said. _"I decided to come early and help with wedding preparations."_

Natalie smiled. "Thanks Aunt Peggy," she said. "Should I let Tony know you'd like to come over?"

" _I think your dad just got ahold of him; he's talking to someone,"_ Peggy said. _"I'll probably see you soon."_

"Great!" Natalie said happily. "See you soon!"

" _Bye sweetie,"_ Peggy said, and hung up. Natalie put her phone back on the bedside table, and went to find Loki.

She found him in the kitchen, along with Tony, who was just getting off the phone while Loki was snickering quietly at how ridiculous Thor looked. "Oh, hey Natalie; your dad just called and said he's bringing Peggy over," Tony said. "I told Bucky to go get cleaned up."

"Good, I actually just called Peggy because I wasn't sure if Dad had told her about Bucky," Natalie said. "Sounds like she'll be sticking around until the wedding's over."

"Steve will like that," Tony commented. They both looked at Loki as he started cackling maniacally.

"Loki…. why are you cackling like that?" Natalie asked warily.

Loki pointed to Thor the guinea pig in response, and Natalie and Tony burst out laughing. Thor was now wearing a lacy pink dress with a pretty pink bow on top of his head. "Did Sif and the others leave?" Natalie asked when she caught her breath.

"The others did; Sif is still here," Tony said. "Something about wanting to try chocolate mousse."

"I'll take it out when Aunt Peggy and Dad get here; that way everyone can have some," Natalie said.

"Great!" Tony and Loki said together.

 _ **Half an hour later:**_ JARVIS announced that Mr. McKenzie and Peggy had arrived. The group was waiting in the living room, and Peggy and Mr. McKenzie came in. "Hi everyone," Peggy said- then gave Steve a stern look. "Steve, were you overdoing it again?" she asked.

"Maybe a little," Steve said uncomfortably.

"He's been banned from Bucky's sessions," Natalie said dryly, coming over to hug Peggy. "It's not good for his mental health."

"Why was Steve sitting in on Bucky's session anyways?" Mr. McKenzie asked.

"Moral support," Natalie said. "By the way Dad, I needed to talk to you anyways."

"What about?" Mr. McKenzie asked as Peggy went over to Steve and Bucky.

"Frigga says that it was brought to her attention that if Loki and I get married here on Earth, the marriage won't count in the eyes of the other realms, because Midgard is not allied with any other realm," Natalie said. "She suggested having two ceremonies."

"I think you should have the one in Asgard AFTER this thing with Thanos," Mr. McKenzie said. "It can double as a victory celebration."

"I like that idea," Loki commented. "Especially since weddings in Asgard are far more involved than what I understand of Midgardian customs- the celebrations usually last for up to a week, and having that and then our wedding here will be too much."

"Agreed," Natalie said. Raising her voice a bit, she called, "Who wants chocolate mousse?"

Everyone's heads whipped around to face her, and she got a resounding chorus of "ME!"

Giggling, Natalie said, "Come into the kitchen, I'll get some for all of us."

She did so, and noticed as the others ate that Steve was unusually quiet. Not wanting to call attention to it, she said nothing- until Steve got up after eating and left without a word. Once he was gone, Natalie sighed. "He's not doing too well," she said. "I think the lack of someone to beat senseless for what happened to Bucky is really getting to him."

"Should I go talk with him?" Bucky asked. "I don't blame him for what happened to me."

"I told him that; I think he just doesn't want to hear it, and it's pretty clear that he's beating up punching bags in lieu of HYDRA goons," Natalie said. "I think if we knew where other HYDRA bases were, he'd be suited up and out the door in five seconds or less."

"I'll go," Mr. McKenzie said, startling the others. "Natalie, you already talked with him, right?"

"Yeah; apparently it didn't help much," Natalie said gloomily.

"Maybe I can help," Mr. McKenzie said. "Where is he, do you know?"

"Captain Rogers is in the communal gym, Mr. McKenzie," JARVIS said. "I can direct you, if you wish to go alone."

"Thanks, that'd be much appreciated," Mr. McKenzie said, and headed for the elevator. The others looked at Natalie when he was gone, and she said, "I'm guessing he's going to say something along the lines of the talk I got after Andrew died."

 _ **With Mr. McKenzie:**_ Mr. McKenzie found Steve beating up another punching bag, and went over, leaning against some of the gymnastics equipment nearby. Steve noticed him, and asked, "Mr. McKenzie?"

"Tom, please, Steve," Mr. McKenzie said.

"Is this going to be another talk?" Steve asked warily.

"Possibly," Mr. McKenzie said. "I have more experience with not being able to save someone you love than my daughter does, unfortunately."

"I thought she didn't have any experience with that," Steve said.

"Her cousin," Mr. McKenzie said. "She tried everything she could think of to get him to stop drinking, and as I'm sure you're aware by now, she couldn't save him. She still blames herself to some degree for Andrew's death."

"I'm sorry," Steve said, a bit awkwardly.

Mr. McKenzie shook his head. "I think a lot of people have someone they wish they could have saved," he said softly. Looking Steve in the eye, he said, "This should never reach my daughter's ears, clear?"

"Yes sir," Steve said.

Mr. McKenzie nodded, and said quietly, "I'm sure you know from either Natalie or Aunt Peggy that my father died when I was ten, from alcohol poisoning. My older sister and I were the ones who found the body, the night after we both literally begged him to stop drinking so much. My mom couldn't get through to him either, no matter what she did. My younger sister was about to turn two, and all I remember from the day my father died is staring down at his body and thinking, "Why didn't you let us save you?" His death nearly destroyed our family, and would have if it wasn't for Aunt Peggy."

He paused, then said, "When I was twenty, I discovered my older sister had a drinking problem- like my father. I still don't know why she had that problem, but she also died of alcohol poisoning, two years before my mother passed away. When Mom, Lily, and I buried Marian…. I think that's what finally broke our family. Lily moved to Canada, and I stayed with Mom. Sometimes I think she died from grief rather than cancer. I always wished I could have saved my dad and my sister, though, and to this day, I still wish that. I know what it's like to feel helpless in the face of someone else's peril. I won't say I know exactly how you feel, because I don't, but I do understand the basis of what it's like when you can't save someone you love. In a lot of ways, you're lucky; you got Bucky back and he's getting help for what happened to him, instead of either turning into a gibbering wreck or continuing as someone you might be forced to fight someday. The people I wish I could have saved and the person Natalie wishes she could have saved; we'll never get them back. They're gone forever, but you got Bucky back. Yes, what happened to him was horrific, but I personally think that you should enjoy this second chance rather than get worked up about how you failed to protect him the first time around. We aren't all lucky enough to get second chances, Steve. And if nothing else, you're probably worrying Bucky with this behavior."

Steve looked at him for a long moment, and Mr. McKenzie looked back. "You and Natalie are very alike," Steve said finally.

Mr. McKenzie chuckled sadly. "Yes, I know," he said. "Unfortunately, it's not just the more pleasant aspects of our personalities that we share."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"For one thing, we've both got tempers, though Natalie is far better at controlling hers than I am," Mr. McKenzie said. "But the one thing I wish we didn't have in common is that we both have PTSD."

"Natalie told us she didn't have that though," Steve said.

"Due to her powers keeping nightmares and other mental problems at bay, I let her think that, but the truth is that if she didn't have her powers, she would have pretty bad PTSD," Mr. McKenzie admitted. "The doctors told me that they had concerns that she might not be able to function in normal society, due to the fact that she literally cannot be near alcohol. It's gotten worse since Tony got alcohol poisoning, and if it wasn't for her powers, I have little doubt that she would be unable to function as well as she does now. Her tendency to act terrified around alcohol or alcoholics is a lesser symptom of a much bigger problem, and I certainly hope she never loses her powers for any reason, because I have a feeling her life would go to hell in a handbasket soon after. At the very least, she would probably have to give up working as a therapist for anyone besides your team, because while you've gotten used to her fear of alcohol, if she was anywhere else, she'd have to deal with at least one alcoholic. I never told her what the doctors said, and I'm hoping you won't tell her either, because it could create problems for her mental health."

"I won't tell her; I agree, it's probably best if she doesn't know and has one less thing to worry about," Steve said. More quietly, he added, "Thanks, Tom."

"Anytime, Steve," Mr. McKenzie said. "Should we rejoin the others?"

"Yeah, let's go before Natalie gets worried about us," Steve said.

Mr. McKenzie smiled, and they walked out.

 **Hope this was satisfactory; the Natalie vs. Fandral bit wasn't great, but I liked the rest of it, so I hope you do too. Review please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Continuing With Therapy**

 **Chapter Eleven: Time Travel Interlude**

When Steve and Mr. McKenzie came back, they found two new additions to the group. Natalie looked up, and said, "Hi Dad, hi Steve. Dad, this is Dr. Jane Foster and her assistant, Darcy Lewis."

"Nice to meet you both," Mr. McKenzie said.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. McKenzie," Jane said, Darcy echoing her.

"Hey Dad, question," Natalie said.

"Sure, what's up?" Mr. McKenzie asked.

"I was wondering if it was possible for me to take someone with me when I mind-walk," Natalie said.

Mr. McKenzie sighed. "It is, but it's highly risky," he said. "The other person would have to be holding onto you at all times, and if they let go for any reason, they'd be stuck. It's possible, but it's not a good idea."

"Alright, thanks," Natalie said. She looked at Betty, and said, "Sorry, Betty. I think you'll just have to wait until Hulk comes out to talk with him. I'm not risking you getting stuck in Bruce's mind."

"Alright," Betty said. "Thanks for asking."

"Sure," Natalie said, smiling. Suddenly she noticed Loki looked worried, and asked, "Loki, is something wrong?"

"Something's coming," Loki said- just as a portal of some sort opened up and swallowed Natalie. The last thing she heard was Loki screaming her name, before she landed on a hard, but smooth, surface. She sat up, rubbing her head, and noticed she was in Heimdall's Observatory. Heimdall eyed her, and then said, "You are not from this time period."

Natalie's heart sank. "What year is it on Midgard?" she asked.

"I believe the mortals say it is 1350 AD," Heimdall said. "What year are you from?"

"2012 AD," Natalie said gloomily.

"You must have a powerful enemy, to have been thrown back this far," Heimdall commented.

"Sadly, I do," Natalie said. "I can't figure out why this particular time, though, unless he was doing it at random."

"Your soul seems to be bonded to Prince Loki's soul," Heimdall commented. "The Allfather is planning to sew Loki's lips shut for a deed Thor is responsible for at noon today. Perhaps your enemy is attempting to turn you against the Allfather?"

"He didn't need to; Odin did that himself," Natalie said darkly. "I'd guess he's trying to create friction between me and Thor- or me and Frigga, though that is less likely. I assume Thor decided to keep quiet on who was responsible for whatever he did?"

"Indeed; he asked Loki to get him out of an unwanted betrothal with the Lady Sif, and Loki cut her hair off," Heimdall said. "The Allfather neglected to consult me on the matter, and believed Loki was lying when he told him that Thor was the one behind the whole thing. Thor, I believe, is too fearful of his father's reaction to stand up for Loki."

"And Frigga?" Natalie asked.

"She has tried to convince Odin to reconsider, but is unaware of the reasoning behind the actions," Heimdall said. He looked at her thoughtfully, and asked, "Are you willing to risk time itself to save Loki?"

"I would risk EVERYTHING to save Loki," Natalie said confidently. And it was true; she'd figured out months ago that there was nothing she wouldn't do to help Loki.

"I will send you to the throne room, then; from there it will be up to you, young Dream Walker," Heimdall said.

"Thank you, Heimdall," Natalie said. Heimdall inclined his head, and Natalie found herself in the throne room a minute later. She looked around the pillar she had landed behind, and what she saw made her see red. Thor had Loki pinned to the floor in front of the entire court, and a man was threading a needle. Natalie darted through the crowd, and ignored the gasps when she reached the center of the room, instead grabbing Thor's collar and literally throwing him off of Loki. The court was stunned silent as Natalie held out a hand to Loki, asking, "Are you hurt?"

"N-no, Lady…." Loki said, trailing off as he realized he'd never met her.

"Natalie," Natalie said. "My name is Natalie McKenzie." She helped him to his feet.

"Thank you, Lady Natalie," Loki said.

Before Natalie could respond, Odin growled, "What is the meaning of this?"

Natalie turned to him, her eyes turning ice blue as she said, "The meaning of this, Allfather, is that Thor over there was the one who begged Loki to do something about his betrothal to Lady Sif. I do not think Loki would have cut Sif's hair off otherwise."

"And how, pray tell, did you come by this information?" Odin asked.

"I merely asked Heimdall- which, if you thought Loki was lying about this not being his idea, is what you should have done," Natalie snarled. "You didn't need to mutilate the child in front of your entire court! And he's not even of age to be tried in court! Do you care NOTHING for your own laws?"

"Who are you, to challenge me in my own court?" Odin asked.

"I am the 76th incarnation of the Dream Walker, Natalie Allison McKenzie," Natalie said. "I was thrown back in time by 662 years."

Odin's eye narrowed. "Only the Seasons have the power necessary to send someone that far back," he said.

"Odin, she has been marked by Lady Summer," Frigga said. "I would guess she is the Seasons' Chosen. They must have sent her here for a reason."

"If they did, they didn't see fit to inform me of it," Natalie commented. "Though considering what you were about to do to Loki, Odin, maybe they sent me back to stop you. Shouldn't we be focusing on the fact that Thor is behind Sif's plight instead of talking about me?"

"Very well," Odin said, surprising Natalie; the Odin she'd met wasn't nearly this reasonable. She waited as he looked at Thor, who looked uncomfortable, and asked, "Thor, would you care to explain why you were going to let your brother take a punishment that should have been yours?"

"I was going to say something, but then you announced that the punishment would be sewing one's lips shut, and I got scared," Thor said. "I did not think the punishment was going to be that severe, or that anyone would find out who did it."

Odin didn't look happy, but seemed to accept that. Natalie wasn't as accepting, and asked, "Had the punishment been something like a year of cleaning out the stables, would you still have refrained from speaking up?"

"I am not afraid of hard work," Thor said indignantly.

"Fair point," Natalie said. "Having your lips sewn shut falls under the category of torture, which any sane person would fear. But would you care to explain why you agreed to hold Loki down?"

"Father said it was that or do the sewing myself," Thor said.

"And it never occurred to you to refuse to do either?" Natalie asked. "Do you even know how to think for yourself?"

"Thor doesn't think, period, Lady Natalie," Loki said. "So whether or not he knows how to think for himself is rather redundant."

"Good point," Natalie said. She looked at Odin, and said, "If you're done torturing Loki and breaking your own laws, I would be interested to know if there's a way to send me back to my own time period."

This was answered when the air shimmered, and Lady Summer appeared. The Asgardians all dropped to one knee, and Natalie bowed. Lady Summer looked at her and asked, "Was changing the timeline really necessary, Lady Natalie?"

"I'm not going to sit around while Odin tortures Loki," Natalie said bluntly. "How did I get here, anyways?"

"My brother, Lord Winter, proposed a test for you, so we sent you back to this specific incident to see how you would react," Lady Summer said. "Since you did as we hoped you would, you will be sent back to your time."

"Thank you," Natalie said. Lady Summer smiled and waved a hand. The world went blank for a minute, and then Natalie found herself back in the kitchen of Avengers Tower. She blinked, and barely had time to reorient herself before Loki was hugging her. She hugged back as he asked, "What happened?"

"Lord Winter apparently wanted to test me, so he and the other Seasons sent me about 662 years back into the past, to see how I would react to one of Odin's stupider decisions," Natalie said. Then she smirked at him. "You were cute back then," she said.

"I'm not cute anymore?" Loki asked.

"You can be, but mainly I think of you as hot," Natalie said. Loki leaned down, and the rest of the people in the room left as he and Natalie started kissing.

 **I KNOW it's filler, but I'm kind of braindead on this story. I'm open to ideas, but I'm wondering if I should just skip to Natalie and Loki's wedding next. Tell me what you think!**


	12. AN

**A/N: Sorry, but I have completely lost inspiration for this story, and Lila Lokisdottir is also on hold. I'm not sure when or if I will get back to CWT, so thanks for your support, and sorry in advance. And to the guest user Lalalooo, please stop telling me I haven't updated. I am well aware of that fact, thank you very much.**

 **For the curious, I joined AO3 recently as Lokiismylife27, and will most likely be posting there soon.**

 **~Lokiismylife**


End file.
